specialty focus
Monash University ’ s Professor Bianca Brijnath . Picture : Supplied .
‘ We ’ re at a crossroads ’
Influx of overseas staff an opportunity to address racism .
By Elise Hartevelt
Recruiting overseas staff to fill workforce shortages in aged care could prompt the sector to become more culturally safe , a gerontology expert has said .
Australia has increasingly depended on overseas personal care workers and nurses to cover the anticipated shortfall of over 200,000 full-time aged care staff by 2050 .
An estimated 40 per cent of the aged care workforce is estimated to come from a culturally linguistically diverse background .
Monash University ’ s Professor Bianca Brijnath , director of Social Gerontology at the National Ageing Research Institute , said racism remains highly prevalent in aged .
“ The cornerstone of the aged care system that everybody agreed on is the importance of person-centred care ,” Professor Brijnath said .
“ You cannot put anybody at the centre of care if that person or the people around them are abusive to you .
“ It ’ s very difficult to deliver quality care and to form a relationship with someone who abuses you on a day-to-day basis because of the colour of your skin or your accent .”
Join Aged Care Insite ’ s conversation with Professor Brijnath about racism in the aged care industry .
22 agedcareinsite . com . au