This article was originally published on WRK4CE and published on 24 April, 2024. Ausmed Education has written permission to republish it here for a wider audience.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Ausmed Education.
Introduction
Australia is becoming increasingly multicultural and multilingual, a trend reflected in the 2021 Census data, in which older Australians (aged 65 and over) spoke over 260 different languages at home (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). This linguistic diversity is expected to grow as migration patterns continue to shape the country's cultural landscape. With an ageing population and a growing skills shortage in the Aged Care sector, the importance of multilingual and multicultural staff cannot be overstated. Our carers and nurses need to reflect the diversity of the population for which they care.
The changing demographics of Australia, particularly the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity among older Australians entering aged care facilities underscores the need for aged care providers to employ multilingual staff who can deliver quality, culturally appropriate care to a diversifying client base. By embracing linguistic diversity and providing ongoing cultural competency training, aged care facilities can ensure that all residents receive high-quality care that respects their individual identities, preferences, and needs.
Sydney: A Snapshot of a Growing Country
Sydney serves as a microcosm of a national trend. In 2021, 37.4% of residents across Greater Sydney spoke a language other than English at home, up from 35.8% in 2016 (ABS, 2022(a); .idcommunity, 2023).
This linguistic diversity is not evenly distributed across Sydney. In some suburbs, such as Cabramatta, up to 40% of residents speak Vietnamese at home, while only 10% speak English (Sydney Morning Herald, 2021; ABS, 2021). Similarly, in suburbs like Liverpool and Holroyd, over 20 languages are spoken by at least 1% of the population, highlighting the city's rich tapestry of cultures and languages (Sydney Morning Herald, 2021; ABS, 2021).
Whilst these statistics address the specifics of Sydney, they also serve to provide a snapshot of the changing linguistic landscape of Australia. Recent census data shows that approximately 1 in 4 households across the country use a language other than English at home (ABS, 2021).
In conclusion, dispelling these common misconceptions opens the door to a wealth of opportunities for Australian Aged Care Providers grappling with workforce shortages. By understanding the advantages of international staff, HR leaders can strategically harness a global talent pool to fortify and elevate their organisations in the pursuit of delivering exceptional care.
Ageing and Linguistic Diversity
As Australia’s population ages, this linguistic diversity is increasingly reflected in the Aged Care sector. This trend is expected to continue as migration continues to grow and previous migrants enter retirement age.
The needs of older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds can be complex. Many face barriers to accessing appropriate aged care services, including language barriers, cultural differences, and unfamiliarity with the Australian healthcare system (ELDAC, 2022). These challenges can lead to miscommunication, misdiagnosis, and dissatisfaction with services, ultimately impacting the quality of care received.
As Australia’s population continues to age and become more diverse, language becomes even more important. Dr Helen Rawson notes “Language is particularly important for older people’s physical health and well-being. Many culturally and linguistically diverse older people say they speak English well. However, with age and cognitive decline, they may lose the ability to communicate in English and revert to their first language” (Rawson, 2019).
Although these challenges exist, the good news is there are several ways to address them.
The Role of Multilingual Staff
To address these challenges, aged care providers are increasingly recognising the importance of employing multilingual staff who can provide culturally appropriate care. Census data shows over 40 per cent of Registered Nurses and Carers were born overseas, with almost 40,000 arriving since 2016 (ABS, 2022(b)). Organisations like the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra have made bilingual staff a priority, with around 70% of their employees speaking multiple languages (with 49 languages spoken amongst all staff and volunteers) (Australian Parliament, 2017; MICCI, 2023).
Source: Department of Health, 2017
Bilingual aged care workers can facilitate access to services for CALD communities by bridging language and cultural gaps (University of Kansas, 2024). They can communicate effectively with residents, understand their cultural needs and preferences, are highly motivated and can act as translators between residents and other staff (Franken and Kowalski, 2018).
Furthermore, the employment of international staff on visas can help aged care providers meet the growing demand for multilingual services. These workers bring diverse language skills and cultural competencies that can enhance the quality of care provided to CALD residents (Australian Parliament, 2017). In recognition of this, the Australian Government has opened new visa pathways to help Aged Care Providers find the staff they need. This is referred to as the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement and is designed to streamline the recruitment of qualified direct care workers from overseas to work in the aged care sector.
However, it is important to note that simply employing CALD workers is not a magic bullet. As stated above, ongoing cultural competency training and professional development is crucial to ensure that staff, regardless of their background, can provide culturally appropriate care (Australian Parliament, 2017).
While cross-cultural training is important, so too are training programs that cater to Australia’s increasingly culturally diverse workforce. Ausmed, for example, provides training modules for carers and nurses with caption subtitles in languages other than English (including, Tagalog, Punjabi, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Hindi and Arabic) (Ausmed, 2023).
Next Steps
As Australia's population continues to diversify, the aged care sector must adapt to meet the needs of an increasingly multicultural and multilingual client base. Providers need to further embrace diversity in their workforce through targeted recruitment of international talent with multilingual and cross-cultural skills, along with providing ongoing cultural competency training to existing staff. By doing this Aged Care Providers can ensure all residents receive high-quality, culturally appropriate care that respects their individual identities, preferences, and needs.
References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2021), “Language used at home (LANP) - Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary”, available at https://www.abs.gov.au.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2022(a)), “Cultural diversity: Census”, available at https://www.abs.gov.au.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2022(b)), "A caring nation – 15 per cent of Australia’s workforce in Health Care and Social Assistance industry", available at https://www.abs.gov.au.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023) “Older Australians” (28 June 2023), available at https://www.aihw.gov.au.
Australian Parliament, Aged Care Workforce Report, “Chapter 4: Diversity in Aged Care”, pp. 73-98, available at https://www.aph.gov.au.
Department of Health, Australian Government (2017) "2016 National Aged Care Workforce Census and Survey – The Aged Care Workforce, 2016", available at http://www.gen-agedcaredata.gov.au.
ELDAC (End of Life Decisions for Aged Care) (2022) “Australia’s ageing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse population” (11 April 2022), available at https://www.eldac.com.au.
Idcommunity (2023), “Australia: Languages used at home”, available at https://profile.id.com.au.
Rawson H (2019) “Nursing homes for all: why aged care needs to reflect multicultural Australia” (The Conversation, 7 October 2019), available at https://theconversation.com.
Sydney Morning Herald, “Sydney's melting pot of language”, available at https://www.smh.com.au.
University of Kansas (2024) “Building Culturally Competent Organizations” in Community Tool Box, available at https://ctb.ku.edu.
Velten L, Lashley C (2018) “The meaning of cultural diversity among staff as it pertains to employee motivation”, Research in Hospitality Management 7(2), pp. 105-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2017.1444718.
Authors
Sam Freeman
Sam Freeman is a co-founder and director of WRK4CE, a specialist international recruitment firm for Australian Aged Care and Healthcare providers. He has over a decade of experience in vocational training, having worked extensively with employers to solve skills shortages. Sam was Australia’s first Trade Commissioner posted to Bengaluru, India, where his experience growing businesses in Asia enabled him to assist Australian companies bridge cultural divides when operating overseas.
Dr Shaun Star
Dr Shaun Star is a co-founder and director of WRK4CE, a specialist international recruitment firm for Australian Aged Care and Healthcare providers. He has worked for more than a decade bridging the cultural gap between Australian and Asian businesses. A lawyer, a professor and a business consultant, Shaun has helped clients navigate complex commercial and regulatory issues to ensure successful business outcomes.
