In August 2012 the

Commonwealth Government made dementia a

National Health Priority. This was a great

milestone for our organisation and for those

living with dementia around the country as it

acknowledges that dementia is one of the

major health issues facing Australia in the 21st

Century.

Dementia will no longer be considered as a

natural part of ageing. Instead, for the first time

in health policy, it is recognised as a chronic

disease which needs to be addressed as a

priority in both the health and aged care

systems. However, this is not reflected in the

funding of dementia research by the Australian

Government.

Yet an increased investment in dementia

research is the only hope we have for the

development of medical interventions to delay,

stop or reverse the diseases that lead to

dementia. Dementia research in Australia is

significantly underfunded in comparison to

other chronic diseases in relation to prevalence,

disability burden and cost to the health system.

Currently dementia research receives about $24

million each year through the National Health

and Medical Research Council. This compares

to $160 million for cancer and over $90 for

heart disease.

Alzheimer’s Australia is calling for an

increased investment in dementia research of

$200 million over five years in the 2013-14

Federal Budget. This relatively modest amount

would bring the total investment in dementia

research though the National Health and

Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to just over

$60 million each year, or around 1% of the

costs of dementia in health and aged care.

The report of the Strategic Review of Health

and Medical Research in Australia which is

expected shortly will set the scene for change

in public policy in relation to research. It is

expected that there will be recommendations to

increase the emphasis on priority driven

research.

This will serve to better meet the urgent needs

for new knowledge and innovation in emerging

health priority areas

such as dementia and

mental health where

research capacity is

l i k e l y t o b e

underdeveloped in

c o m p a r i s o n t o

l o n g e r - s t a n d i n g

health priority areas.

The measures to

boost the role of the

NHMRC in sector

leadership will also

(Continued on page 4)

National Ageing & Aged

Care Strategy, CALD 2

Education Programs for

CALD Carers 3

Your Brain Matters 6

Interpreter Mediated

Cognitive Assessments 8

Speaking My Language 9

CULTURAL NEWS

ALZHEIMER'S AUSTRALIA

N a t i o n a l C r o s s C u l t u r a l D e m e n t i a N e t w o r k N e w s l e t t e r

(VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3 ) DECEMBER 2012

THREE MILLION AUSTRALIANS WILL

DEVELOP DEMENTIA BY 2050

Glen Rees, National Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer’s Australia

Cultural News is an initiative of the Australian Government

CULTURAL NEWS

PAGE 2

In June 2012, the Minister for Mental Health

and Ageing, the Hon. Mark Butler, announced

the Australian Government’s intention to

develop and release a National Ageing and

Aged Care Strategy for People from CALD

Backgrounds by the end of 2012. In keeping

with this commitment, work on the Strategy

has proceeded at an accelerated pace over the

past few months. The Department of Health

and Ageing convened a Steering Committee

comprising of key CALD ageing sector

stakeholders, and engaged the Federation of

Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia, to

contribute toward the Strategy and to hold a

series of consultations on the draft Strategy

throughout October and early November.

Two initial consultations, held in Melbourne

and Sydney in early September, set the scene

for the drafting of the National Ageing and

Aged Care Strategy for People from CALD

Backgrounds. Following the release of the draft

Strategy, a further 11 focus group consultations

were held in each state capital city and in three

regional locations: Cairns, Wollongong and

Shepparton. Feedback was also provided by 32

written submissions from aged care

stakeholders and by the National Aged Care

Alliance (NACA).

Each consultation group tended to concentrate

on particular local issues, which varied

according to geography and population

dynamics. However, a number of common

themes emerged at all consultations, including

a discussion of the additional barriers faced by

older CALD people in receiving culturally and

linguistically sensitive diagnosis of and

treatment for dementia. These challenges were

particularly great in rural and regional areas.

The feedback collected at the consultations was

extremely useful and helped to strengthen

the Strategy.

The Strategy focuses on five key principles of

inclusion, empowerment, access and equity,

quality and capacity building. While the aim of

the Strategy is to provide an overarching

framework from which more detailed policy

will be developed, Dementia is addressed as a

key issue in need of particular attention and

support. The Strategy recognises Dementia as

a priority area for new aged care initiatives and

supports the strengthening of CALD

communities’ capacities as potential aged care

providers, including dementia services and

respite services for carers of CALD people

living with dementia.

(Continued on page 3)

FECCA is currently developing a National CALD Ageing Network (NCAN), a web-based communication tool

for the CALD ageing sector that already has a large and rapidly growing membership base. NCAN will

become a facilitator of discussion within the sector as the aged care reforms unfold, a key source of CALD

ageing and aged care information and a base for sector-wide advocacy. For more information and to join

NCAN, please visit the FECCA website: http://www.fecca.org.au

NATIONAL AGEING AND AGED CARE STRATEGY

FOR PEOPLE FROM CALD BACKGROUNDS READY

FOR RELEASE Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia

T H E N E T W O R K

CHAIRPERSON

Pino Migliorino

NSW

Yvonne Santalucia

South West Sydney Area Health Service

Dr Desiree Leone

Western Local Health District

VIC

Maree McCabe

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic

Claire Naffah

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic

Jaklina Michael

RDNS

Nicky Hayward-Wright

Knowledge Management Consultant

Dr Dina LoGiudice

Royal Park Campus Melbourne Health

QLD

Dino Bazarbassis

Nova Community Care

WA

Linda Grenade

Alzheimer’s Australia WA

ACT

Lily Muthurajah

Multicultural HACC

SA

Gosia Skalban

Domiciliary Care

Ron Sinclair

National Carer Advisory Committee

Dr. Faizal Ibrahim

Consultant Geriatrician QEH

TAS

Ms Marianne Potma

Migrant Resource Centre, Southern TAS

NT

Dr Sadhana Mahajani

ACAT Northern Territory

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Mark Gaukroger

ALZHEIMER’S AUSTRALIA

Glenn Rees

Ellen Skaldzien

SECRETARIAT

Helena Kyriazopoulos

CULTURAL NEWS

PAGE 3

EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR

CALD CARERS

(Continued from page 2)

FECCA is very pleased to have

been able to contribute toward

this important Government

document that will play a key

role in shaping the direction of

the aged care reforms over the

next three years and beyond.

We look forward to the

Strategy’s release in December,

and to the further reforms that

will stem from it. We are

confident that they will be

of great benefit to CALD

communities.

Bruce Shaw (Senior Policy

Officer, Aged Care, FECCA) –

bruce@fecca.org.au

Melanie Tulloch (Policy Officer,

Aged Care, FECCA) –

melanie@fecca.org.au

Despite an increasing number

of support and education pro-

grams for carers, there are very

few programs specifically for

CALD carers.

To address this a number of

agencies collaborated to

deliver an Intervention Pro-

gram to Chinese and Spanish

speaking carers of people living

with dementia. The agencies

are:

Mult icul tural Heal th

Western and South

Western Sydney Local

Health Districts,

NSW Spanish and Latin

American Association for

Social Assistance,

Chinese Welfare Services

of South Australia,

Alzheimer’s Australia SA,

Stanford University ,and

Dementia Collaborative

Research Centre (DCRC)

UNSW.

The DCRC, provided $40,000

to trial the Intervention

Program developed by

Professors of Psychology at

Stanford University, which has

proved in the past to have had

positive results with Chinese

and Spanish speaking carers

based in the USA.

The intervention was modified

for the Australian context, and

adapted to the specific needs of

each community. It is being

delivered to two groups of

Spanish speakers in NSW and

Chinese speakers in SA. The

groups are almost complete

and data is being analysed.

Comments from carers have

been positive.

The findings will be presented at conferences, a journal article and a report.

Desiree Leone

Senior Multicultural Access

Project Officer

Multicultural Health /

Diversity Health Institute

_____________________________________________________________________

CULTURAL NEWS

make a significant difference, and we are

confident that the recommendations, if

implemented, will result in better healthcare

outcomes for consumers in Australia.

The urgent need for increased funding is high

lighted in a new report commissioned by

Alzheimer’s Australia that forecasts that three

million Australians will develop dementia

between 2012 and 2050. Almost all of them will

be people who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s

today. The economic and social impacts will be

enormous in terms of costs in the health and

aged care systems, and on the quality of life of

millions of Australians and their families and

friends including those from culturally and

linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The report, Modelling the impact of

interventions to delay the onset of dementia in

Australia, was prepared by the Dementia

Collaborative Research Centre – Assessment

and Better Care at the University of New South

Wales. Centre Director, Scientia Professor

Henry Brodaty, believes that the new statistics

provide compelling evidence that Australia

must invest in dementia research now. The

analysis shows that if we can develop an

effective intervention or treatment to delay the

onset of dementia by just five years, close to

one million people would be spared the

personal tragedy of a diagnosis of dementia.

The release of these statistics coincides with

findings from Medicines Australia, which

suggest that Australians are more worried

about dementia than diabetes, obesity or

depression. Investment in research is a good

way to give people hope.

I urge you to support our Fight Dementia

Campaign and sign up to our new site –

www.donateamemory.org.au. This site is

creating a collection of memories that people

want to share with others. It is a great way of

illustrating to the government that we as a

community are committed to working for world

without dementia through research.

Thank you for your ongoing support and Merry

Christmas

Glen Rees

National Chief Executive Officer

Alzheimer’s Australia

(Continued from page 1)

PAGE 4

WEB LINKS

Alzheimer’s Australia www.alzheimers.org.au

Alzheimer’s Disease International www.alz.co.uk

Australian Government www.australia.gov.au

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Registration is now open for the

Alzheimer’s Australia 15th National Conference

Hobart, May 2013

Alzheimer’s Australia would like to welcome you to their 15th National Conference, in Hobart, 2013.

The theme of the conference, The Tiles of Life - Colouring the Future, challenges participants to

reflect on their experience of living with dementia, how to stretch their thinking about the

condition, and how best we can care for people living with dementia.

This conference will be an opportunity to reflect on how we can be positive in addressing dementia

through promoting awareness, rehabilitation, social engagement, opportunities for creativity and

self-expression.

It’s also an opportunity to look to the future and the critical role investment in dementia research

can play in identifying the causes of dementia as well as helping to find a cure and developing new

treatments.

For anyone interested in improving the quality of life for people with dementia and their carers –

and looking to a better future – this is a conference not to be missed in 2013.

Join our Facebook page so that you don’t miss any updates.

For further information and to download a hard copy of the registration brochure

click here or visit www.alzheimers2013.com

CULTURAL NEWS

PAGE 5

CULTURAL NEWS

I n Sep t em b er 2012 , A l z h e i m er ' s

Australia launched its new brain health

program, Your Brain Matters: A guide to

healthy hearts and minds.

Your Brain Matters is designed to help

Australians live a brain healthy life, to help

them reduce their risk of developing dementia.

It replaces the previous dementia risk reduction

program, Mind your Mind. A new look and feel

was created for the program to help guide

people on what they need to be brain healthy.

Your Brain Matters has three key areas to help

you live a brain healthy life, and all of these are

important:

All three are important in looking after your

brain health

Keeping your brain active matters: keep your

brain challenged and be socially active.

Being fit and healthy matters: eating healthily

and participating in regular physical activity are

important for a healthy body and a healthy

brain.

Looking after your heart matters: what’s good

for the heart is good for the brain – avoid

smoking, manage your blood pressure,

cholesterol, blood sugar and body weight.

Following the Your Brain Matters guide is

particularly important once you reach middle

age, as this is when changes in the brain start

to occur. But it’s even better if you follow them

throughout life. It’s never too late to start

either, as brain function can be improved an

protected at any age.

Here are some tips on what you can do to live a

brain healthy life and help to reduce the risk of

developing dementia:

KEEPING YOUR BRAIN ACTIVE MATTERS

YOUR BRAIN MATTERS

PAGE 6

CULTURAL NEWS

PAGE 7

BEING FIT AND HEALTHY MATTERS LOOKING AFTER YOUR HEART MATTERS

UP-COMING CONFERENCES NATIONAL DEMENTIA CONGRESS

4TH ANNUAL CONGRESS

NOVOTEL MELBOURNE ON COLLINS

21-22 FEBRUARY 2013,

For more information click here

RURAL HEALTH CONFERENCE

12TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE

7-10 APRIL 2013

For information click here

ALZHEIMER’S AUSTRALIA

15TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

THE TILES OF LIFE, COLOURING THE FUTURE

14-17 MAY 2013

HOTEL GRAND CHANCELLOR, HOBART, TASMANIA

For information click here

AGEING IN A FOREIGN LAND

2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY, ADELAIDE

27-30 JUNE 2013

For information click here

FECCA CONFERENCE VENUE TBA

6-8 NOVEMBER 2013

For information click here

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

CULTURAL NEWS

The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI)

has been funded by Alzheimer’s Australia

Research Foundation and the Institute for a

Broadband Enabled Society (IBES) to explore

the experiences and perceptions of

stakeholders in cognitive assessments that

involve the use of interpreters. Social justice

and equity of access to care can be

compromised by the communication gaps

w h i c h f r e q u e n t l y o c c u r d u r i n g

interpreter-assisted cognitive assessments.

There is a shortage of interpreters in many

languages, even in metropolitan areas, and

difficulties for people to access services with

appropriate interpreters. Recent developments

in telehealth has improved access for some

people, but there has been little research

exploring the use of Videoconferencing in

mental health interviews.

This project aims to explore clinician, family

member and interpreter perceptions of their

experience of a multicultural cognitive

assessment; develop interpreter and clinician

guidelines and a training DVD; and pilot the use

of videoconferencing in interpreted

cognitive assessments.

Stage 1 methods includes scoping of training

and accreditation for interpreters in mental

health; a demographic survey, focus groups

and interviews with stakeholders; and analysis

of survey data, focus groups and interviews.

Stage 1 consultations are currently underway.

Stage 2 includes videoconferencing of

interpreter-assisted cognitive assessments with

the interpreter at a separate location, and the

development of guidelines and a training DVD

to assist both clinicians and interpreters.

Findings to date highlight the challenges for all

stakeholders in the multicultural cognitive

interview, contribut ing to greater

understanding between all parties. The new

guidelines and training materials will educate

and support clinicians as well as interpreters,

enabling improved collaboration between these

groups of professionals. This will improve the

experience for patients and their families,

and contribute to better diagnosis and

care planning.

For more information please contact:

Dr Jean Tinney: j.tinney@nari.unimelb.ed.au

PAGE 8

INTERPRETER MEDIATED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS –

STAKEHOLDER EXPERIENCES INFORMING

GUIDELINES AND TRAINING DVD AND USE OF VIDEO

CONFERENCING SOFTWARE

CALD WEB LINKS Australian Multicultural Foundation www.amf.net.au

Cultural Diversity in Ageing www.culturaldiversity.com.au

Federation of Ethnic Communities Council (FECCA) www.fecca.org.au

CULTURAL NEWS

Dementia is often associated with changes in

personality and behaviour. Apart from factors

related to the dementia itself (e.g. type of

dementia, area and extent of damage to the

brain), a variety of other factors may be

involved. These include environmental factors

(e.g. the person’s physical or social

environment), their life history, and personality.

Understanding the potential influence of such

factors on a person’s responses or behaviours

is therefore extremely important in order to

minimize the likelihood of their occurrence and

to assist in identifying specific intervention

strategies. For people with dementia from CaLD

backgrounds, considerations related to the

person’s culture, language and/or migration

experiences also need to be taken into account.

With this in mind, the Dementia Behaviour

Management Advisory Services (DBMAS) WA

has developed a training resource, Speaking

My Language aimed at assisting residential and

community care workers to better understand

and address ‘behaviours of concern’ amongst

people with dementia from CaLD backgrounds.

The resource has been developed specifically

for use by DBMAS personnel in each state, who

deliver the training in conjunction with

organizations funded under the PICAC (Partners

in Culturally Appropriate Care) program.

Speaking My Language comprises six modules

that focus on different topics including

communication, assessment and information

gathering, family caregivers, and intervention.

The modules have been designed to promote

discussion and interaction, providing

opportunities for workshop participants to

share their experiences, thoughts and ideas.

This includes group activities and a number of

accompanying DVD clips (acted case scenarios

or ‘real life’ interviews) related to the different

topics covered.

The training can be delivered as a one day

workshop (covering all six modules), or in

accordance with the needs and preferences of

individual organizations /services (e.g. short

session covering one or two modules only).

Since the launch of this resource in late 2011, a

number of successful workshops in both

metropolitan and regional locations have been

held in different States.

Anyone interested in knowing more about this

resource, or wishing to access the training,

should contact either the relevant state DBMAS

(www.dbmas.org.au) or PICAC service provider

(www.health.gov.au) – Go to: For Health

Professionals > Aged Care > Support for people

with special needs).

Linda Grenade

Project Officer - Multicultural Communities

Alzheimer’s Australia WA

PAGE 9

SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE: A TRAINING RESOURCE

FOCUSING ON BEHAVIOUR CHANGES AND PEOPLE

WITH DEMENTIA FROM CULTURALLY AND

LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS: