Exploring the care experiences of older people from culturally and racially marginalised (CaRM) backgrounds in rural NSW communities. Interim report

Older people from CaRM backgrounds living in rural communities, often lack access to culturally relevant health care resulting in poor health outcomes. Literature suggests that language barriers and inequitable access to health care services are some of the challenges they experience. This study explored the experiences of older people from CaRM backgrounds in rural NSW, to understand factors that impact their wellbeing in aged care. A decolonising research methodology was used, that centred the participants voice, language, culture and ways of knowing. Twelve (12) participants from two rural communities were interviewed using Talanoa. Preliminary findings revealed that all families provided informal and culturally relevant elderly care themselves. Culturally relevant services were defined by participants as those exhibiting cultural safety, such as having an awareness about other cultures, providing familiar food options, having a spirituality or faith space and having workers that speak their language and understand their cultural nuances. Participants noted that they are more likely to move to cities for culturally relevant elderly care. Transnational care where monetary contributions are made to care for their elderly parents abroad was common amongst participants. It was also evident that there is a generational shift in the understanding of elderly care for children who are born and socialised in Australia. Participants highlighted that the lack of translators, discrimination and structural challenges often hindered accessibility of elderly care services in rural areas. Recommendations include the need to identify ways of creating culturally safe aged care services in rural CaRM communities. There are global models of elderly care that may provide lessons towards the improvement of such services in rural CaRM communities.