Retired accountant Kranti Amar has kept his mind sharp thanks to volunteering.
But at the age of 73, Canberra’s grandfather has admitted that in a few years he will have to move into a nursing home.
But he says he finds this prospect daunting, due to the lack of culturally appropriate senior care facilities.
“For people around the age of 80, they need a nursing home, but they have been out of work for 20 years and are completely out of touch with the English language,” he said.
“And if the staff doesn’t speak your language, it could be worse than jail.
“Even food, something you’ve been eating for 60 or 70 years, and suddenly another type of food comes out, maybe it’ll be too hard to digest.”
Mr. Amar hopes that when he has to move into a nursing home himself, there will be more options for culturally and linguistically diverse seniors, which is why he has joined a campaign by the Canberra Multicultural Association.
Multigenerational households are the norm
Canberra Multicultural Association President Nishi Puri is caring for her mother Kanwal Bawa, 86, at home. (ABC News: Ben Harris)
Canberra Multicultural Association President Nishi Puri said culturally diverse seniors who had access to “one-size-fits-all” Westernized care for the elderly could lose their identity.
He said, on the other hand, many families choose to care for their elderly parents at home.
“Most of our parents live with us, for example, my mother lives with us and I don’t think she had the heart to put her in the nursing home,” Ms. Puri said.
Her 86-year-old mother, Kanwal Bawa, has lived with her for 28 years, and Ms Puri said this has been the best option, as her mother probably could not speak her native Hindi and Urdu in an installation.
“It would be very isolating for these older people to live in this circumstance and it is definitely not good for their mental health,” Puri said.
“I urge that more multicultural nursing homes should be built to serve all communities.”
English speakers returning to children’s languages
Palliative care nurse for the elderly Juliane Samara says many older people came to Australia as refugees or asylum seekers and have suffered some level of trauma that can return as they age. (ABC News: Andrew Kennedy)
Palliative care nurse Juliane Samara said a third of older Australians spoke English as a second language.
He said significant language barriers could be present in care facilities for the elderly, as about half of all residents lived with dementia.
“And as dementia progresses and nears the end of life, they actually return to their mother tongue so that their short-term memory and the skills they have learned as they get older disappear.” , said Juliane.
“This is incredibly problematic and really presents a lot of challenges to the staff.”
Ms Samara said another complexity was that many older people came to Australia as refugees or asylum seekers from war-ravaged countries.
“They have suffered some level of trauma, and as they near the end of life or as dementia progresses, these traumatic experiences can return and be their main memories,” he said.
“So if there are people who care about them who don’t understand where they came from and what those experiences are, as well as not being able to communicate, that becomes an incredible challenge.”
Is there a solution?
Selen Akinci, who teaches training at ACT and NSW nursing homes, says residents must maintain their independence. (ABC News: Dave Sciasci)
The Department of Health has hired several community-based organizations to deploy training in national cultural competencies to some providers, as well as to provide cultural awareness resources.
Selen Akinci of the Illawarra Council for Multicultural Communities has overseen the federally funded program in ACT and New South Wales.
“Staff must provide services in an inclusive and culturally sensitive manner,” he said.
“[Residents] they have to maintain their independence … and communication is a key part, especially in the decision-making process. “
Mrs. Akinci added that the goal of the program was to ensure that staff do their best to understand the unique needs and intentions of each person.
But he also acknowledged that the training “was not enough” given the number of providers to be reached and the complexity of the issue.
Ms. Puri echoed the view that more should be done and hoped that culturally dedicated care facilities for the elderly would be widely established in the future.