Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC)
Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC) program works with residential aged care providers to achieve best practice in meeting cultural and spirtual needs of people from Cultrually and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds and the community aged care sector.
PICAC works with communities by:
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providing up-to-date information and resources about aged care issues
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working with your community to develop skills and knowledge
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developing networks and linkages with aged care services
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facilitating government awareness of your community's needs and concerns.
PICAC works with Aged Care Services by:
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providing links with culturally diverse communities
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assisting with access to information and resources about culturally appropriate residential aged care options.
PICAC works with Residential Aged Care Providers by:
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ensuring that your staff receive cultural awareness training
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assisting in gathering information about new residents cultural needs and preferences
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employing staff that understand langurage and cultural variations
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developing and implementing a multicultural policy
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catering to religious and spirtual needs
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maintaining dietary customs and preferences.
The PICAC program is statewide and provides and maintains links between community and residential care. PICAC has a strong focus on cultural awareness training throughout the residential and community care sector, and also works with peak bodies such as the Aged Care Standards & Accreditation Agency, Aged Care Tasmania and the Aged Care Approvals committee so as to contribute towards culturally appropriate residential aged care by facilitating systemic change. Each Australian State has a PICAC program, yet Tasmania’s demographics create the unique situation of 85-plus languages being spoken within many small groups dispersed throughout the State.
The Project Officer regularly facilitates cultural events in nursing homes involving up to 90 participants. The Project Officer has built links with the Italian, German, Dutch, Chinese and other communities so that they can provide authentic cultural experiences for residents who may not otherwise be able to share their language and culture.
The program would also like to acknowledge the many volunteers who devote their time including the German, Italian and Dutch Choirs.
