Due to the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Australian Government has released a new Aged Care that will start from November 1.
The Aged Care Act will target the treatment of elderly Australians, including Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, and how service providers are run.
For Aboriginal and Toress Straight Islander (ASTI) people, the new Act will ensure they have the right to:
- Access to culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-oriented assessment and aged care services
- Stay connected with their community and Country
What do providers need to know?
For decades, First Nations people have been subjected to systematic discrimination and abuse, which has created deep and lasting trauma.
For providers to build trust and respect with ATSI people, they must implement the following:
- Create aged care that focuses on culture
- Promote aged care in the community, for the community
- Understand and acknowledge the importance and value of family, kinship and informal carers
Services must ensure that care is delivered respectfully and that it's tailored around First Nations peoples' values and culture. This will ensure they feel welcomed, respected and accepted within the aged care community.
How can the government support providers?
For service providers to provide culturally tailored health care, the Australian government needs to improve lived experience within the industry.
This means there needs to be an increase in ASTI assessment organisations that can safely support services for older ASTI people; an expansion and ongoing support for the local Elder Care Support Workforce; an increase in ASTI aged care workers within local services; support for mainstream aged care providers to ensure they can deliver culturally safe aged care experiences; and continued investment in the ASTI community-controlled sector to maintain quality in aged care service delivery.
What programs are available to help aged care providers?
The following programs from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing are designed to help providers care for older ASTI people.
- Remote and Aboriginal Torres Strait Aged Care Services Development Assistance Panel (SDAP)
- Business and workforce advisory service
- Aged Care Spatial Assistance Program (ACCAP)
- Integrated Care and Commissioning Initiative
- Specialised aged care for First Nations people
- Indigenous Employment Initiative Program
- Defining cultural safety
- Cultural safety training
Resources
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- Clinical care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples wanting aged care services
- Remote and Aboriginal Torres Strait Aged Care Services Development Assistance Panel (SDAP)
- Business and workforce advisory service
- Aged Care Spatial Assistance Program (ACCAP)
- Integrated Care and Commissioning Initiative
- Indigenous Employment Initiative Program
- Defining cultural safety
- Specialised aged care for First Nations people
