MULTICULTURAL AGED CARE

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (16:07): I recently had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Multicultural Affairs at 'A day in the Italian culture' workshop held by Multicultural Aged Care in collaboration with various Italian communities and organisations across South Australia. This lifestyle activities and respite coordinators' workshop was funded by the Australian government Department of Health and Ageing and the Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care initiative.

Before I talk about the day, I will provide an overview of the state's multicultural population and the demography and problems confronting our ageing population. As we are aware, we are becoming a state and, indeed, a country of diverse nationalities and cultures. Figures provided by the publication Multicultural Life show that, in a state population of just over 1.5 million, according to the 2006 census, overseas born South Australians from a non English-speaking background comprise 11 per cent and overseas born English-speaking comprise 10 per cent.

Our top 20 source countries are well known: England, China, India and Malaysia, to name the largest contributing countries. Predicted big future groups will come from China, India, the Philippines, Malaysia and South Africa. Adding to our existing ethnic mix are South Australians from the Sudan, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia and Liberia, again to name just a few.

The growth of and change to the composition of our state promise a rich and interesting cultural future. As to what is termed our traditional or established communities (those born in Italy, Greece and the former Yugoslavia), we are faced with a different problem—that of increasing age, where the proportion of people over the age of 65 is growing rapidly.

We know that there are 100,000 South Australians of Italian origin. Italian is our second most spoken language. We also know that, from 1945 to 1972, around 30,000 Italians settled in this state, and we know that we are an ageing state. According to the 2006 census, elderly Italians make up the greatest percentage of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in South Australia—around 6 per cent of the population. It is further projected that, by 2016, Italians aged 65 and over will make up one-quarter of the older CALD population.

As Multicultural Aged Care Incorporated knows, there is a growing need for aged care service providers and communities to be more aware of and responsive to specific cultural sensibilities and mores.

The need to build better quality services was recognised by the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission through Multicultural SA and the roundtable conference on multicultural aged care in April this year. Key stakeholders within the aged care industry, including state and commonwealth agencies, peak non-government agencies and aged care providers are developing further strategies that will strengthen CALD aged care services.

Let me return, though, to the day of the workshop assisting ageing members of South Australia's largest ethnic group, our Italian citizens. In June 2008, Multicultural Aged Care launched a series of 10 cultural awareness resource sets known as CARS—and I take no responsibility for the acronym. The CARS launch on this occasion was the fourth such cultural awareness session held for the service providers, with each kit containing information on culturally specific groups as well as providing information on crafts, games and recipes.

I point out that, being of Italian parentage, I will one day (but not yet) be an appreciative recipient of multicultural aged care and aged care service providers.

I congratulate Multicultural SA and Multicultural Aged Care for the good and important work they are doing and thank and congratulate Rosa Colanero, the CEO of MAC Inc., and Maria Johns, manager of MAC, as well as those Italian organisations that attended (Co. As. It., Comites, PISA and IPF), not forgetting the sponsors, Australian Department of Health and PICAC.

In closing, I was acutely reminded on the day of the golden rule of the Italian card game, Briscola, a favourite of many of those present at the cultural workshop: always let your Mum win.