AGED CARE & DISABILITY SERVICES

We can help:

• individuals to find the aged care and disability service that best meets their needs.

• service providers with the provision of culturally appropriate services.

• communities to find out more about services and how to access them.

If you would like to speak to us please contact Sharon Porteous on 9275 6905 or email sporteous@miceastmelb.com.au.

For links to INFORMATION for older people or people with a disability in English and other languages click here.

For the current cultural awareness training program click here

Click on the following links for information about the current and recent Aged & Disability Services programs and projects at the MIC:

• Community Partners Program (CPP)

• Dementia Awareness in CALD Communities across the Generations

• HACC - Multicultural Equity and Access Program (MEAP)

• Inner East Social Inclusion Initiative - Mobilising Communities Project

• Telstra Connected Seniors Project

• Inviting Cultural Diversity in Volunteering Project

Community Partners Program (CPP)

The Community Partners Program (CPP) is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing for 2009 until 2012. The main objective of this program is to promote and facilitate increased and sustained access by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities to aged care support services. CPP will include the following activities:

• Information sessions for each CALD community to deliver information about aged care services;
• Visits to be arranged for each community to aged care services to understand services;
• Hold cultural celebration days in partnership with aged care providers and CALD communities;
• Develop more translated information packages for CALD communities on respite care;
• Deliver Cultural Briefing sessions for aged care service providers;
• Explore the needs of carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

For further information on this project please contact Linda Tan on 9275 6906 or email ltan@miceastmelb.com.au.

Dementia Awareness in CALD Communities across the Generations

Funded by the Department of Health and Ageing, the Dementia Awareness in CALD Communities Project aims to raise awareness amongst young people from CALD backgrounds about dementia and how it may affect older people in the community. The project is funded until May 2011 and will include the following activities:

• Information sessions and activities for English as a Second Language (ESL) secondary students about dementia;
• Visits to dementia specific aged care services for ESL secondary students;
• Linking ESL secondary students with members from CALD senior citizens clubs to present and share what they have learnt about dementia.

For further information on this project please contact Robyn Clark on 9275 6903 or email rclark@miceastmelb.com.au

HACC - Multicultural Equity and Access Program (MEAP)

The Multicultural Equity and Access Program (MEAP) aims to develop and implement strategies to improve access to Home and Community Care (HACC) funded services in the Eastern Region for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The MEAP is jointly funded under the HACC program by the Victorian Department of Health and Commonwealth Government.

The MEAP works both with HACC service providers and CALD communities to improve access to HACC services and assist agencies to provide culturally appropriate services. This includes facilitating the HACC CALD Network and delivering the "Understanding people from CALD backgrounds" training program for HACC.

Please click here to view the program details and obtain cultural resources.

Inner East Social Inclusion Initiative - Mobilising Communities Project

The Mobilising Communities Project is continuing until October 2010. The Project is now working with older members of the Cambodian community in the Knox area to reduce their experience of social isolation and improve their opportunities for participation in broader community life.

To download a copy of the evaluation report of the Inner East Social Inclusion Initiative click here.

For further information please contact Geraldine Jeremiah on 9275 6907 or email geraldinej@miceastmelb.com.au.

Telstra Connected Seniors Project

The Telstra Connected Seniors Project has received funding for another year for 2010 and 2011. This project delivers 11 training sessions to CALD seniors in the Eastern Region of Melbourne to learn about using mobile telephones and internet. The project aims to address the lack of confidence in using these new technologies for older people from CALD backgrounds.

For further information please contact Geraldine Jeremiah on 9275 6907 or email geraldinej@miceastmelb.com.au.

Inviting Cultural Diversity in Volunteering Project

The "Inviting Cultural Diversity in Volunteering" was completed in August 2008. Please click here for resources for agencies working with volunteers from a CALD community or seeking to increase the cultural diversity of their volunteer pool.

Links to translated information for older people or people with a disability: