Department of Health and Aged Care: Connecting Older Australians.

Challenge

Australia has a wonderfully diverse population of different communities who speak and understand many languages. Not everyone who needs aged care speaks and reads English. The Australian Government Department of Health & Aged Care (the department) wanted to make it easier for senior Australians to access the aged care information they need in their chosen language, and easier for aged care facilities to provide it. The department put out a request for tender for agencies to provide services that would make it easier for senior Australians to access the aged care information they need in their chosen language. A consortium of partners including The LOTE Agency (LOTE) was awarded the tender and has been supporting aged care providers with services since the start of 2022.

Solution

The solution was designed to enable aged care providers to communicate key written and audio/video messages to those in care for whom English is not their preferred language. This includes people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds for whom LOTE is providing services. The solution comprises three elements:

• Drive aged care providers to use TIS\* National and Auslan

connections to improve care

• Create and manage a national translation and content creation

service for aged care providers, peaks and PICACS (Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care)

• Co-creation of communication products to promote understanding and

uptake of aged care reforms

• Provide cultural awareness training at-scale to providers nationally

Impact

LOTE completed over 3,000 assets in over 60 languages in four months, allowing providers to effectively communicate with over 300,000 residents.

LOTE is delivered a behaviour change communications campaign to increase the usage of TIS within the aged care industry to minimise language barriers and improve communication and care.

Demonstrates experience in:

• Collaborating in a consortium with a PR, First Nations and Auslan

partners

• Delivering a national behaviour change campaign

• Localisation and cultural adaptation at a significant scale

• Cultural awareness training & support