The next big problem facing aged care: How to talk to the culturally diverse patients
Joe Caputo says, ideally, carers should be able to speak their patients' languages. Photo: Simon Schluter
Michele Caputo had lived in Australia for almost 30 years when the onset of dementia resulted in him reverting to his native Italian.
The 85-year-old had been independent; living on his own, meeting friends regularly and maintaining his own garden of organic vegetables.
But Mr Caputo declined in his final years, which he spent in a nursing home where only one staff member spoke Italian. He refused to eat, relying on the daily meal his daughter would bring him when she finished work. As his dementia worsened, it became even harder for him to express himself.
Joe Caputo with his father, Michele.
Mr Caputo's experience in aged care could become an increasingly common one, with the proportion of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians expected to grow significantly in the next decade.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/aged-care-urged-to-meet-growing-multicultural-challenge-20160407-go0rby.html#ixzz46DMkF0nK Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook