Harmony Week is a national event in Australia, held from 20 to 26 March 2023. It’s a week-long celebration that aims to embrace and appreciate the country’s diverse cultural community. This event is specifically designed to promote inclusiveness and encourage mutual respect among people of all cultures.

To maintain cultural diversity and inclusiveness, using the Diversity Framework is crucial. The Diversity Framework seeks to embed diversity in the design and delivery of aged care; and support action to address perceived or actual barriers to consumers accessing safe, equitable and quality aged care, while enabling consumers and carers to be partners in this process – access the Aged Care Diversity Framework here: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/aged-care-diversity-framework.pdf

Here are some ways that aged care providers can apply the principles of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) care and the Diversity Framework during Harmony Week and beyond:

1. Recognize and celebrate the cultural diversity of residents and staff: Aged care providers can organise cultural events and activities that celebrate the diversity of residents and staff. This could include cultural performances, food tastings, or other activities that promote understanding and respect for different cultures.
2. Provide language support services: Like in healthcare settings, aged care providers should ensure that language support services are available for residents who speak languages other than English. This could include hiring bilingual staff or providing interpreting services. The Department of Home Affairs has a FREE interpreting service for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients. Click on this link to access the Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS National) website with more than 2700 interpreters in more than 150 languages.
3. Incorporate cultural practices into care plans: Aged care providers should be sensitive to the cultural and religious practices of residents and incorporate them into care plans where appropriate. For example, staff should be aware of dietary restrictions or preferences based on cultural or religious beliefs.
4. Offer staff training on cultural competence and diversity awareness: Aged care providers should offer staff training on cultural competence and diversity awareness to ensure that staff are equipped to provide culturally appropriate care to residents. Visit the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) Alliance page to access information and training that can support you and your organisation to deliver culturally appropriate care to older people from CALD communities. Additionally, you can also visit our PICAC Alliance Members page to access further resources from PICAC organisations from every state and territory in the country.
5. Engage with CALD communities: Aged care providers should engage with CALD communities to understand their unique aged care needs and preferences. This could involve attending community events, consulting with community leaders, or collaborating with CALD community organisations.

By adopting the principles of the Diversity Framework, aged care providers can provide culturally appropriate care to residents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This will help to create a more inclusive and respectful environment for all clients and staff but also ensure that we continue to implement inclusive practices in our organisations well beyond Harmony Week.