One size does not fit all

In this episode we speak with 2 amazing guests who are passionate about speaking up to protect the rights of seniors from culturally & linguistically diverse backgrounds. Joe and Ananda talk about effective ways to engage with seniors from culturally & linguistically diverse backgrounds. They also share inspiring insights about what we can all do to influence change. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Ponniah Anandajayasekeram (Ananda) is involved with a number of community organisations working for the rights of seniors from culturally & linguistically diverse communities. He’s the Board Chair of the Southern Migrant & Refugee Centre, Victoria & a member of the Policy Development Committee – COTA, Victoria. Joe Perri uses his background in marketing & PR to campaign for housing accessibility for seniors in Victoria. He was also the representative for seniors in the Italian community in a report on post-COVID mental health distress in culturally & linguistically diverse communities.

In episode three of season 2, we're speaking with Frank DiBlasi and Phil Peladarinos. Frank Di Blasi is a senior leader from the Italian community in Melbourne. He is originally from Vizzini in the province of Catania, Sicily, but has called Melbourne home for the past 60 years. Frank has a very long list of achievements that emphasise his commitment to his local community, as well as his Italian heritage and culture. Phil Peladarinos is the Team Leader - Care Management at Merri Health. Phil was born and raised in Greece and relocated to Australia in the mid-80s. Phil has a background in Aged Care, Mental Health, Local Government and Tertiary Education with almost 35 years’ experience in working with culturally diverse communities. Tune in for this wonderful chat with these two amazing leaders from the aged care sector to hear how seniors from culturally and linguistically diverse communities have organised their own social groups through the years to develop a sense of belonging.

In today’s episode you will hear more about issues and experiences of older people from culturally diverse backgrounds shared by two senior leaders who actively participate in shaping the Australian aged care sector. Santosh Kumar who is the Treasurer of The Northern Federation of Ethnic Senior Citizens Clubs and is a well-travelled former RMIT Professor who has been very active in the community. He has worked in seven universities in various countries. He served as the National Vice President and the President of the Asia Pacific Operational Research Societies (APORS). He has received ‘The Ren Potts Award’ from the Australian Society for his contributions in the field of Operations Research. In 2021 he was also awarded ‘The Order of the Australia Medal’. With us we also have Danijela Hlis, a published writer, bicultural social support worker and bilingual Diversional Therapist, who has been working with and advocating for seniors and elders from 1 Nations people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse background for the past 25 years. A carer herself, long-time member of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia and Dementia Australia Advocate. She is also a working member of The Council of Elders, Older Persons Advocacy Network and National Older Person Reference Group. Hope you enjoy the episode and don't forget to subscribe and follow us on Spotify, Apple and Google.

In this episode you will hear from Lella Cariddi who curated many migration stories which have significantly contributed to Victoria’s cultural and historic diversity. These stories earned her a 2022 Community History Award for Oral History. She has also worked closely with Multicultural Arts Victoria and various other organisations for which she has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. With us is also Con Pagonis who worked thirty years with the Australian government mainly in migration and multicultural affairs and spend another eight years as a Multicultural Policy Adviser with State and Local Government in Victoria. He has also volunteered for many years at the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria. They talk about their family's journeys with migration and will share tips on how to write your own migration story. They also talk about the challenges in the aged care system and the importance of older people's voices being heard. Hope you'll feel inspired. Tune in and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you.

In this episode we have our special guests from Uniting NSW: Margaret Teuma and Lana Richards who have worked hard to design policies and programs that promote culturally appropriate care for seniors. Uniting is a great example of how to appropriately include inclusive and accessible care in the aged care sector. It's a great insight for anyone that works in the aged care sector!

In this episode we are chatting with Prof Brijnath on her contribution to the aged care sector, her book and her work in Gerontology and culturally inclusive care. In 2022, Professor Bianca Brijnath won the Dr Olga Kanitsaki AM Award for Individual Excellence, for her work to improve quality of life for older culturally and linguistically diverse Australians as well as leading four national projects to increase awareness of dementia prevention and care. Stay tuned for this lovely chat with Prof Bianca!

People who are in the aged care system often times feel misunderstood and misrepresented. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can feel isolated and lonely due to language barriers and not feeling free to communicate in their preferred language. In this episode you will hear about the Free Translations in aged care project titled "Better connecting with diverse audiences" and where to find it so that you can help your aged care sector be more culturally inclusive. Tune in to hear from our expert friends: Sam, Kwabena and Bec.

In this episode you will learn about the work The Centre does. Lisa and Niki who are part of The Centre share their experience and insights of the services The Centre is offering to aged care providers who are keen to make their workplaces more inclusive and where diversity is recognised and embraced. Great good practice stories, expertise around diversity policies in aged care, and how to support aged care providers to address the needs of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The episode is full of great resources and tips for aged care providers to learn about culturally appropriate care so stay tuned!