June 5, 2018
MEDIA RELEASE
Carers from culturally diverse backgrounds will soon have access to a new Carers’ Service available through Multicultural Care in Sydney region.
This has been made possible by funding through the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) under the Carer Investment Program. Multicultural Care in partnership with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) will deliver these services under a Multicultural Weavers Project to be commenced from July 2018.
“The project is for family members and other unpaid carers – they usually juggle their own personal and/ or work commitments while taking on the role of a carer and as such they need information, support and linkages and this is what this program is all about” stated Dr Rosy Walia, CEO Multicultural Care.
In NSW there are over 900,000 carers out of which over 150,000 are from CALD communities who support people who need it because they have a disability, chronic illness, mental illness, dementia or are frail aged (ABS 2011).
“There is a need to develop effective ways of connecting CALD carers with formal and informal support. Whilst CALD carers and Anglo-Australian carers have many experiences in common, CALD carers face additional challenges in accessing support. These include language and literacy barriers; barriers of terminology, such as use of the term “carer” which many people from CALD communities do not identify with and a reluctance to seek services ” revealed Dr Walia
By partnering with TACSI we will be collaborating on the implementation of the Weavers model of peer support for carers from CALD communities. TASCI as a not for profit organisation, explores new and better ways to create change with a focus on disadvantage, ageing and social health.
The objective of this project is to adapt, trial and evaluate the Weavers model to improve the evidence base for the effectiveness of models of support for carers from CALD backgrounds. There are a number of expected outcomes as a result of the Multicultural Weavers Project:
•Carers experience improved health and wellbeing outcomes
•Carers are able to easily access information when they need it
•Carers feel the broader community understands their experience
•Carers policy and practice is informed by quality evidence
“We are excited to have this opportunity to build awareness amongst CALD communities and to engage with carers. Isolation and loneliness are common amongst these communities and when they receive helping hand from someone who understands their culture and speak their language they are more likely to take this information on board” stated Dr Walia. Multicultural Care is a not for profit organisation providing in-home aged care, respite, veterans home care and disability services.
More information and contact details available at www.multiculturalcare.com
Media contact: Dr Walia: 97186199