The Serbian Community Association of Australia is taking the lead to care for elders of CALD communities through its Advanced Care Planning Program.
Palliative Care Victoria (PCV) and the SCAA have been working closely for a few years on projects such as providing information on palliative care and social support.
Following its success the SCAA received a grant from the PCV to carry out the service in the CALD communities.
Manager Marina Celebic said the project exists to raise awareness about care planning by providing conversations with the elderly, their families, health care professionals and clinicians.
“The aim of this project is increase conversations about choices and decision making in Advance Care Planning within Serbian and other CALD communities.
“We had several consultations with health care professionals to support clinicians to have conversations with patients about person-centred care, advanced care decisions and how this will improve the care they receive.”
The project covers conversations such as care needs, decision making amongst the elder people and people who have chronic illness, multiple diseases, an early cognitive impairment and/or approaching the end of their life.
This can help to put on ease the worries of the future and healthcare needs for those in need of this program as well as family and friends.
“Through this project we expect the multicultural communities will become better informed and will encourage people to plan ahead and express preference about the type of care they would like to receive,” Ms Celebic said.
Several groups of information sessions were run by SCAA with Southern Migrant Refugee Centre with more than 250 people in attendance as well as in Serbian Women’s group in Dandenong and Keysborough.
The pilot program started in July 2022 and is to end on 23 June.
