PICAC Queensland's newsletter is a resource to keep aged and community care services up to date with multicultural news on governance, resources, training and networking events. It contains resources and ideas to improve cultural responsiveness.
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PICAC Connections Newsletter - Autumn 2023
ECCQ acknowledges the traditional custodians who have lived on and cared for Country for thousands of generations, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders past and present.
Welcome to the Autumn edition of PICAC Connections. In this edition you’ll find:
- Welcome
- Unverified specialisation claims removed from My Aged Care
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission New Home Page
- Webinar: Reforming in-home aged care - 18 May 2023
- Workforce Mosaic – Talking Racism and Discrimination in Aged Care (Anonymous Survey)
- Community Health and Aged Care Information Event – Portuguese community
- Humanitarian story – Regis Aged Care Facility Sandgate
- Aged Care “Care Finder” Program
- A Bonus QLD Planning for Diversity is open for registration Brisbane CBD
- Upcoming Nari Trainings and Recorded Seminars
- Aged Care Reforms Training opportunities for CHSP service providers
Welcome
Dear PICAC Connections subscribers,
Since our last edition we have celebrated many significant cultural events in the last few months such as Nowruz - Persian New Year, Easter, the holy month of Ramadan, Holi, Sangkron, Harmony day and many other culturally significant days. PICAC QLD would love to hear how you have celebrated your consumer's cultural identities and to share some of the amazing inclusive cultural practice happening out in aged care services. Please email us with any great initiatives to picac@eccq.com.au so we can share in our future newsletter and socials.
Important news for age care providers who specialise in diversity. See the latest department updates below. If your aged care service needs support in implementing any cultural initiative such as accessing free document translation, interpreters or the aged care reforms related to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, do not hesitate to drop PICAC QLD an email at picac@eccq.com.au or phone on 0407 589 675.
Unverified specialisation claims removed from My Aged Care
While all aged care providers must meet the Aged Care Quality Standards, providing specialised care represents a commitment to go further and focus particularly on meeting the needs of a specific group.
Independent verification of specialisation claims opened for applications on 27 June 2022 under the Specialisation Verification initiative. Applications are voluntary, however if aged care providers wish to claim to specialise for diverse groups on the My Aged Care (MAC) website, they will need to have these claims verified. As of 27 February 2023, unverified claims to deliver specialised care are no longer displayed on the MAC Find a Provider tool.
Aged care providers who have completed all the steps in the application process and have had their diverse needs specialisations verified will be published to their MAC profile. The criteria against which the specialisations were verified are also now displayed.
Aged care providers can apply at any time and there are different options for demonstrating specialisation under the Specialisation Verification Framework’s assessment criteria.
Visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website to learn more about the Specialisation Verification initiative.
Aged Care Providers, ensure you subscribe to Your Aged Care Update newsletter, distributed weekly by the Department of Health and Aged Care and visit the Aged Care Engagement Hub to get involved in the aged care reforms.
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission new home page
Check out the recently updated home page of the Aged Care and Quality Safety Commission. You can find information about the National Aged Care reforms such as the new 24/7 registered nurse cover and care minutes. Please share this important information through your aged care networks.
Webinar: Reforming in-home aged care - 18 May 2023
The department is hosting a webinar on Thursday 18 May at 2pm-4pm AEST to update older people, their families and carers and the aged care sector on in-home aged care reform.
The webinar will provide a progress update on:
- reforms to in-home aged care
- Commonwealth Home Support Programme
- Home Care Packages Program
- the new regulatory model
- the new Aged Care Act.
This webinar will have Auslan interpreters. You will have an opportunity to submit questions during the webinar.
Register on the Aged Care Engagement Hub.
If you are unable to attend the webinar, a recording of this will be made available on the department’s website.
Workforce Mosaic – Talking Racism and Discrimination in Aged Care (Anonymous Survey)
The Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care - PICAC alliance is creating a new resource that will provide information and strategies on how to create a cohesive working environment without racism or discrimination.
The survey will gather experiences that will give a voice to those who have experienced or witnessed racism and/or discrimination in the workplace.
The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete, and we would be grateful if you could share this email with your colleagues who work in aged care.
Should you have any questions regarding the survey or the resource we are developing, please feel free to reach out to Heba or Gail via email – admin@mcci.org.au
Please click below to take part in the survey.
Community Health and Aged Care Information Event – Portuguese community
CALD communities in Queensland are eager to learn more about Australia’s aged care system and available services. A successful information session, delivered in a culturally appropriate way, with language support, for the Portuguese community was held on Saturday 18th March. This event resulted from a recent partnership between the Consulate of Portugal in Queensland, Metro South Health, Multilink Community Services, PICAC (ECCQ) and the Brisbane Portuguese Family Centre. Thirty people from the Brisbane and Gold Coast Portuguese community attended the event.
Information was provided for people 55+ on health, palliative care and ageing services available in Australia, including My Aged Care. Information was provided both in English and in Portuguese via an interpreter.
Key speakers for the event included:
- Professor Elizabeth Reymond (Metro South Health)
- Ana Sas (Multilink Community Services)
- Mohamed Dhaqane (Services Australia)
Additional activities and resources on healthy activities and ageing, services available were also provided by Brisbane City Council, CO-AS-IT Aged Care Services and Metro South Health.
The community were appreciative of the information provided. Some of the feedback received included:
“This was very good information – gave me a lot to think about”
“A lot of this information was new for us – thank you!”
“Our community is getting older, and the information fulfilled their needs”.
For further information regarding this event, please contact Lorella Piazzetta at lorella.piazzetta@health.qld.gov.au.
Event organising partners, presenters, and stallholders.
Left to right (Jenny Hazlewood, Carlos Almeida, Mohamed Dhaqane, Professor Elizabeth Reymond, Dina Ranieri, Ana Sas, Diana Lopes, Lorella Piazzetta, Councillor Sarah Hutton, Daniel Grosser).
Humanitarian story – Regis Aged Care Facility Sandgate
PICAC Connections Newsletter welcomes stories from your organisation that emphasise cultural diversity, inclusion and leadership. Please email us if you'd like to share an inspirational story from your aged care organisation.
Zena, a Housekeeper at a local aged care residence in Queensland, has inspired residents and employees to participate in a sustainability program that’s providing charitable funds to feed people in Ethiopia. She arrived in Australia from Ethiopia 23 years ago and has spent the last 14 years working at Regis Sandgate Musgrave in the suburb of Sandgate.
Despite facing many challenges in her life, she has turned to recycling as a means of supporting the people of Ethiopia. The team at the aged care home collects plastic and glass bottles and cans from employee and resident donations, happy hours, and theme day events. Zena takes the bottles and cans to a recycling depot near her home, where she recycles them and collects the money to send overseas.
She sends the funds to Ethiopia in Australian dollars, which are then exchanged into Ethiopian dollars by her youngest brother, Fisum, who ensures that the funds are distributed equally among the people who are really struggling in the towns of Meux and Gora. Zena's incredible efforts have raised more than $700 in the last 12 months, which is divided between 17 people each time, providing them with enough food and water for 12 days per person.
Her efforts have inspired the Lifestyle and Housekeeping teams at Regis Sandgate Musgrave, as well as three devoted residents, Eileen, Thelma, and John. Zena's selfless dedication to helping others, from her residents and the environment to people in her homeland, is truly remarkable, and reflect Regis’ values of passion, integrity, respect, and optimism.
Help from an Aged Care “Care Finder”
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is funding a national ‘care finder’ program of face-to-face support to help people navigate and access aged care.
Some older people need extra, intensive support to access aged care services and other supports in the community.
In these situations, a care finder may be able to help.
Care finders is a free service. It exists to support vulnerable people – who have no one else who can support them – to learn about, apply for and set up support services.
Click here and check out a full list of multicultural Care Finders in your area and more information about the Care Finder service on the My Aged Care website.
A Bonus QLD Planning for Diversity is open for registration in Brisbane's CBD
OPAN have opened an extra workshop series for the Planning for Diversity face to face workshops across QLD. Whilst they aim these workshops at facilities and organisations, they have also had people from other areas of aged care attend and gain value as well as made contacts. They’ve had some great feedback across Queensland so far and hope to end on a high. So please share with your networks if you can and/or come along.
If you’re curious but not sure if this is for you, please call Yonna on 07 3637 6065 or email Yonna.Simon@adaaustralia.com.au and we can chat.
Here is the registration link and more info:
https://opan.org.au/education/education-for-professionals/diversity-education
Upcoming Nari Trainings and Recorded Seminars
Nari’s free Seminars in Ageing program is currently held online and aim to present the most recent evidence in ageing and aged care research. Seminars in Ageing are held monthly on a Tuesday from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Recorded seminars on a range of aged care topics can also be found.
Aged Care Reforms Training opportunities for CHSP service providers
Free training available to CHSP Service Providers. Do NOT miss this opportunity.
These trainings have been fully funded. Register today by following the links below:
The Price Waterhouse and Coopers sessions:
Invitation to 2023 Diversity Communities of Practice
Location: Online via Webex
The Diversity Communities of Practice (DCoP) offers aged care providers diversity coaching and mentoring and the opportunity to learn from their peers about inclusive practices.
The next DCoP for 2023 will be held on Tuesday 30 May from 2pm to 3pm (Melbourne time). Each organisation can register two leaders from their organisation to attend.
This DCoP will focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Data and how organisations can better understand data to drive culturally inclusive care. There will be two breakout sessions where participants can reflect on the topic and apply new learnings.
To register access the following link.
If you would like to be kept up to date with information regarding the DCoP series in the future you register your interest here
The DCoP will be facilitated by four diversity mentors.
