Better research on CALD seniors needed, review finds

Aged care providers and policy makers are working with a limited understanding of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) seniors, with a major new stocktake of research highlighting key gaps that need to be addressed to ensure appropriate service provision for this growing group.

While most research to date has focussed on CALD seniors who have been living in Australia for many years, those who migrate to Australia at an older age are likely to have even more entrenched language and cultural traditions, and they face the additional challenges of limited social networks and unfamiliarity with services, according to the review.

Further, as most of the research on CALD seniors has been produced in NSW and Victoria, the review called for new studies capturing the experiences of those living in different areas of Australia. “Areas with lower concentrations of the CALD population, including rural areas, are likely to face additional challenges in accessing culturally appropriate care,” it found.

The review of 465 studies and reports on older people from CALD backgrounds was conducted by the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre and commissioned by the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA).

Among the specific gaps in the research it found were:

• culturally responsive palliative care strategies
• communication between residential aged care workers and CALD residents
• CALD care workers as a part of the aged care workforce
• treatment and approaches to care for CALD seniors with a dementia or mental health diagnosis.

The review found there was “a dearth of research” on communication between aged care workers and CALD residents, despite the impacts for these residents of not being able to speak to or understand their carer.

Further, with a growing migrant aged care workforce, communication and cultural understanding between CALD care workers and CALD residents who were not of the same background also needed to be explored in future research, it said.

The review said that “much remains to be known” about the experiences of CALD seniors living with dementia, while there was also a need for more extensive research into mental health issues among older CALD people, including the impact of life experiences, family and community.

According to the review:

“Little research exists about effective practices, treatments and care for older people from CALD backgrounds after a mental health or dementia diagnosis has been made.”

Service providers and researchers interviewed as part of the review highlighted the need for further research, and wider dissemination of results, relating to trials, interventions and programs that aimed to meet CALD seniors’ needs.

The review made a number of recommendations to guide future research in the area, including the need for greater participation of CALD seniors and maintaining the research base so policy and practice can be based on best available evidence.

Some 20 per cent of those aged over 50 were born in a non-English speaking country, according to the 2011 Census.