The requirements of Australia’s increasingly diverse cultural demographics must be factored into dementia care in Australia, with workforce diversity a key enabler.
As Australia’s population ages, so does the number of individuals living with dementia. According to Dementia Australia, in 2024 there were more than 421,000 Australians with the condition. Unless there is a medical breakthrough, this number is expected to increase to more than 812,500 by 2054.
Among this demographic, many individuals present the additional challenge of being from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, with studies showing more than one in five people living with dementia in residential care are immigrants from non-English speaking countries.
Recent research found over 31 per cent of aged care residents were born overseas, while 9.2 per cent of people using aged care services preferred to speak in a language other than English.
The research, part of a study released by Edith Cowan University, found language barriers can potentially contribute to higher aggression in people with dementia. Researchers explained how “loneliness, boredom, language barriers, and cultural considerations significantly contributed to behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia for non-Englishspeaking immigrants compared with non-immigrants”.
The study noted how the higher severity of agitation or aggression is likely driven by communication difficulties, and called for increased awareness and education on the impact culture and language have on people receiving residential care and exhibiting signs of dementia.
A separate study conducted in the United States found dementia can also cause regression to a primary language, so individuals may lose the ability to speak English with the onset and development of dementia.
This highlights how a lack of culturally appropriate dementia care can make life difficult for carers as well as residents. Nobody likes to feel misunderstood or unable to communicate and it is easy to understand how tempers can flare as a result.
Some aged care homes in Australia have adapted to this need by being language-specific; for example, by focusing on supporting members of the Italian, Greek, Indian or Chinese diaspora. This way, residents can communicate with each other, find common ground and feel more at home.
Having the right staff to support these individuals is also important. The good news is Australia is a multicultural country with many individuals who have a CALD background. This means it can be possible to recruit people with the right skills and background from within the community.
If CALD care workers aren’t available, the next step is to cast a wider net and draw from international candidates who are qualified to work in the aged care sector. These individuals will find it easier to fit in at their new workplace because their native language is an asset.
The benefit of hiring from overseas to deliver more culturally appropriate dementia support is having care workers who naturally use the same terms as the people in their care would at home. Having clearer, more nuanced communication may mean these workers also find it easier to establish a rapport.
Of course, the challenge can be helping these individuals to fit in with the Australian community, which is why quality placement providers also offer a service to help new immigrants feel at home.
The reality is it is simply not possible to rapidly train English-speaking workers to have an in-depth understanding of the cultural needs of every resident in their care. Looking overseas and using internationally skilled candidates can be a better strategy to fill specific gaps and improve quality of living for dementia patients.
The Migration Agency