We strive to provide inclusive care for diverse cultures.
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Palliative care needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds
The South Australian population includes many people that were born overseas or have a parent born overseas or speak a variety of languages. The term used to describe these communities with diverse backgrounds and cultural traditions is ‘culturally and linguistically diverse’ (CALD). This cultural and language diversity can impact access to and the experience of care.
A human rights and person-centered approach to care ensures the needs of all individuals are met. It is important to ask people whether there are beliefs, practices, or customs which may affect the care provided.
Health professionals and aged care workers should be providing care that reflects and responds to all individual needs across the following domains:
- Social
- Cultural
- Linguistic
- Religious
- Spiritual
- Psychological
- Physiological
- Medical
Why palliative care matters for people from diverse cultural backgrounds
Members of the CALD community are very diverse and generalisations are not appropriate. However:
- new arrivals tend to have less chronic conditions and lower mortality rates but after 10 years in Australia this effect disappears for some groups and conditions
- language and cultural barriers may prevent timely access to palliative care
- for many refugees and those fleeing conflict, post-traumatic stress and mental health issues are more common
- some members of the CALD community have a higher incidence of life-limiting conditions that are less common within the general population.
Useful Resources
- Find resources in different languages
- Multicultural Communities Council of SA
- Australian Government Department of Health: Exploratory Analysis of Barriers to Palliative Care Issues Report on People from Culturally and Linguistically Divers Backgrounds.
- To learn more about our culturally and linguistically diverse population visit the ELDAC website