Language needs and service provision for older persons from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in south-east Melbourne residential care facilities

Objectives: To provide up-to-date figures on the language needs of older persons from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in local residential care facilities and to investigate the extent to which these needs are catered for by the provision of language-relevant services. Methods: A postal questionnaire was sent to 189 registered aged care facilities in the south-east region of Melbourne, Victoria. The questionnaire focused on three main issues: the number of residents who preferred or needed to speak non-English languages; the staff available to speak to residents in non-English languages; and the language-specific services provided at their facility. Results: As many as 19% (1191/6409) of residents either preferred or needed to speak one of 40 different non-English languages. While over half of the facilities had at least one staff member who conversed with residents in their preferred language, residents speaking nine non-English languages were never spoken to in their original tongue. Almost one-quarter of the facilities did not provide any language-relevant services. Conclusion: The findings emphasise the need for widespread use of language-appropriate services and, due to the growing ageing migrant population, have important policy implications.