COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Apply Culturally Competent Practice in Ageing Support course. This program has been designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and practical strategies required to provide culturally safe, respectful, and inclusive support to older people in residential aged care, home care, and community-based services. Throughout this course, you will explore how culture, identity, lived experience, and historical context shape the way older people engage with care, and how culturally competent practice can strengthen dignity, trust, and quality of life for diverse older populations.

This course begins by introducing the concept of culturally competent practice in ageing support and clarifying why it is fundamental to safe and quality care. This section explains the purpose of cultural competence in aged care services, emphasising the importance of dignity, inclusion, and respect in every aspect of ageing support. This section also outlines the role of workers in providing culturally safe and responsive care, highlighting how everyday attitudes, communication, and decision-making either support or undermine cultural safety for older people and their families.

Foundations of culture, diversity, and ageing are then explored to create a shared understanding of the key concepts underpinning culturally competent practice. This section explains the meaning of culture and how it influences beliefs about ageing, care, illness, family roles, and decision-making, and it shows how diversity exists within and between older populations rather than only between broad cultural categories. This section also introduces intersectionality and the combined influences of identity, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and other factors on vulnerability, resilience, and access to support.

Human rights, legal requirements, and policy frameworks provide a formal basis for inclusive, non-discriminatory ageing support. This section explains human rights principles relevant to older people, such as dignity, autonomy, participation, and freedom from discrimination, and links these directly to everyday practice. This section also outlines anti-discrimination and equal opportunity obligations, and describes organisational policies on inclusion, cultural safety, and discrimination that guide workers’ responsibilities and set clear expectations for behaviour and service delivery.

Self-awareness, personal values, and unconscious bias are then examined as essential starting points for genuine cultural competence. This section explains how exploring your own cultural background, values, and assumptions can reveal how they shape your interpretations of older people’s behaviour, needs, and preferences. This section also examines stereotypes and unconscious bias, how they can unintentionally influence judgement and decision-making, and how reflective practice can be used to notice, question, and adjust responses so that care remains respectful, equitable, and person-centred.

The experiences and needs of culturally diverse older people are explored to deepen understanding of the people you support. This section explains key considerations when supporting migrants and refugees, including language barriers, migration and settlement experiences, separation from family, and the impact of disrupted careers or education. This section also examines the needs of minority faith, language, and marginalised groups, and explores how trauma, discrimination, and loss can affect trust in services, willingness to disclose needs, and patterns of engagement with aged care providers.

Working respectfully with First Nations Elders is then considered as a critical focus for culturally competent ageing practice. This section explains the impacts of colonisation, dispossession, forced removal, and intergenerational trauma on health, trust, and engagement with services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This section also explores the importance of respecting Elders’ cultural authority and community roles, and describes how to build trust through culturally appropriate communication, observance of protocols, and genuine partnership with First Nations communities and organisations.

Inclusive practice with LGBTIQ+ older people is examined to ensure that culture and identity are understood in a broad and intersectional way. This section explains lifecourse experiences of stigma, criminalisation, discrimination, and concealment that many LGBTIQ+ older people have faced, and how these experiences can influence trust, disclosure, and feelings of safety in aged care settings. This section also outlines the importance of respecting identity, pronouns, relationships, and privacy, and describes how to create visibly inclusive and affirming care environments that send a clear message of welcome and safety.

Culturally responsive communication skills are then explored as a core part of everyday practice. This section explains how verbal and non-verbal communication patterns differ across cultures, including tone, eye contact, gestures, personal space, and forms of address, and why misunderstanding these differences can lead to mistrust or offence. This section also covers the use of plain language, strategies for checking understanding without causing embarrassment, and approaches for managing communication across language differences in ways that promote clarity, respect, and shared meaning.

Working effectively with interpreters and translated resources is addressed to support accurate and safe communication with older people who have limited English proficiency. This section explains when it is appropriate and necessary to use professional interpreters rather than relying on family members, friends, or untrained staff, and how to prepare for and conduct interpreted conversations in a structured, respectful way. This section also discusses the appropriate use of translated written and visual materials, and how to ensure that information is accessible, culturally appropriate, and genuinely understood by the older person and their family.

Culturally informed assessment and care planning are then considered as central mechanisms for embedding culture into day-to-day support. This section explains how to explore cultural beliefs, values, and preferences during assessment, including questions about language, food, gender preferences in care, religious and spiritual needs, and daily routines. This section also outlines how to integrate cultural strengths, practices, and supports into care plans and routines so that culture is reflected in everyday care activities rather than treated as an optional or occasional consideration.

Family, kinship, and community roles in care are explored to recognise that many cultures view care as a shared responsibility. This section explains cultural views on family responsibility, collective decision-making, and the roles of extended family, kinship networks, and community leaders in supporting older people. This section also examines how to manage differences between family expectations and the older person’s own wishes, and how to work respectfully with families and community representatives while maintaining a person-centred focus and clear professional boundaries.

Culture, health beliefs, dementia, and mental health are then examined to highlight their influence on how illness and distress are understood. This section explains cultural interpretations of illness, pain, dementia, and disability, including beliefs about causes, stigma, and appropriate responses, and considers the role of traditional healing and spiritual practices alongside biomedical approaches. This section also explores how culturally different expressions of distress, behaviour, or cognitive change may be misunderstood if cultural context is not considered, and how to adapt support approaches to cultural norms while maintaining safety and respect.

Culturally responsive daily living, personal, and spiritual support are considered to ensure that everyday care aligns with each person’s identity and beliefs. This section explains how food, diet, fasting, and meal practices are important expressions of culture and faith, and how to accommodate these as far as possible within organisational requirements. This section also explores privacy, modesty, and gender considerations in personal care, and describes ways to support spiritual, religious, and ritual practices in daily life so that older people feel recognised, respected, and connected to their traditions.

End-of-life, bereavement, and responding to discrimination are then examined as critical aspects of culturally competent ageing support. This section explains cultural beliefs about dying, death, and what constitutes a “good death,” and how these beliefs influence preferences for end-of-life care, rituals, and family involvement. This section also explores how to support rituals and mourning practices respectfully, how to recognise racism and discrimination in aged care settings, and how to respond safely and professionally to exclusion, bias, or conflict. This section emphasises the responsibility of workers and organisations to challenge discrimination, uphold dignity, and create environments where all older people feel safe, valued, and respected.

By the end of this course, you will be able to apply culturally competent practice in ageing support by recognising how culture, identity, and history shape older people’s experiences and expectations of care. You will understand your responsibilities within human rights and policy frameworks, be more aware of your own values and biases, and be better equipped to communicate, assess, plan, and provide support in culturally responsive ways. Most importantly, you will be prepared to contribute to inclusive, culturally safe aged care environments where diverse older people can experience dignity, belonging, and meaningful choice in how they live and receive support.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to Culturally Competent Practice in Ageing Support

• Purpose of cultural competence in aged care services
• Importance of dignity, inclusion, and respect in ageing support
• Role of workers in providing culturally safe and responsive care

2. Foundations of Culture, Diversity, and Ageing

• Meaning of culture and its influence on ageing, care, and family roles
• Diversity within older populations
• Intersectionality and combined influences of identity and vulnerability

3. Human Rights, Legal, and Policy Frameworks in Aged Care

• Human rights principles relevant to older people
• Anti-discrimination and equal opportunity obligations
• Organisational policies on inclusion, cultural safety, and discrimination

4. Self-Awareness, Values, and Unconscious Bias

• Exploring personal cultural background and assumptions
• Recognising stereotypes and unconscious bias
• Using reflective practice to adjust behaviour and responses

5. Understanding Culturally Diverse Older People

• Considerations when supporting migrants and refugees
• Needs of minority faith, language, and marginalised groups
• Impact of trauma, discrimination, and loss on trust in services

6. Working Respectfully with First Nations Elders

• Impacts of colonisation, dispossession, and intergenerational trauma
• Respecting Elders’ cultural authority and community roles
• Building trust through culturally appropriate communication and protocols

7. Inclusive Practice with LGBTIQ+ Older People

• Lifecourse experiences of stigma and concealment
• Respecting identity, pronouns, relationships, and privacy
• Creating visibly inclusive and affirming care environments

8. Culturally Responsive Communication Skills

• Verbal and non-verbal communication differences
• Using plain language and checking understanding
• Managing communication across language differences

9. Working Effectively with Interpreters and Translated Resources

• When to use professional interpreters
• Preparing for and conducting interpreted conversations
• Using translated and visual materials appropriately

10. Culturally Informed Assessment and Care Planning

• Exploring cultural beliefs and preferences during assessment
• Discussing language, food, gender, and religious needs
• Integrating cultural strengths into care plans and routines

11. Family, Kinship, and Community Roles in Care

• Cultural views on family responsibility and decision-making
• Managing differences between family expectations and client wishes
• Working respectfully with families and community representatives

12. Culture, Health Beliefs, Dementia, and Mental Health

• Cultural interpretations of illness, pain, dementia, and disability
• Use of traditional healing and spiritual practices
• Recognising culturally different expressions of distress or behaviour
• Adapting support approaches to cultural norms

13. Culturally Responsive Daily Living, Personal, and Spiritual Support

• Food, diet, fasting, and meal practices
• Privacy, modesty, and gender considerations in personal care
• Supporting spiritual, religious, and ritual practices in daily life

14. End-of-Life, Bereavement, and Responding to Discrimination

• Cultural beliefs about dying, death, and a “good death”
• Supporting rituals and mourning practices respectfully
• Recognising racism and discrimination in aged care settings
• Responding safely and professionally to exclusion or conflict

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.