This story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Greek.
TRANSCRIPT
Frances Davey's mother Virginia migrated to Australia from Greece about 70 years ago.
Now 96 years old, she is receiving Palliative Care at Fronditha Care - an aged-care provider which specialises in assisting Australians from a Greek cultural background.
My mother speaks two languages [[butt]] Now that she's got dementia, she's gone back to her native language, and her early years in a little village, she doesn't live in Australia anymore, she's lost the last forty years. It's really important the cultural palliative care has been established.
Frances says understanding and supporting her mother's cultural and spiritual needs is an important aspect to sensitive and dignified care.
She still would like all the religious ceremonies, the religious beliefs and the religious days, name days and Easter in particular, because she had lots of fond memories, that's good for her.
Culturally Appropriate Palliative Care is addressed in a new online module launched this week ((launched Sunday)) by Dementia Australia in its 'Ask Annie App' in collaboration with the Fronditha Care Foundation.
This is Doctor David Sykes, Director at the Centre for Dementia Learning at Dementia Australia.
This new module on palliative care is really aimed at providing real life scenarios to workers to give them some valuable tips and strategies on how they can really provide valuable care and support.
Faye Spiteri is Fronditha Care's CEO.
As people prefer to age in place, by the time they reach residential care, they are usually in a more advanced stage of an illness such as living with dementia, so it was very important to combine the palliative care module with dementia education so that our team members are better able to understand these issues that are inter-related.]]
According to Palliative Care Australia, 400 people of all ages die of a terminal illness in Australia each day and could benefit from palliative care.
Camilla Rowland, the CEO at Palliative Care Australia, says palliative care is a human right that can offer people support in their final days.
Over 37% of older Australians over 65 come from other countries. So we have a multicultural society, so we need to ensure that everybody has an individualized person-centered care plan.]]
It's something registered nurse Waruni Garusingha feels passionate about.
In Greek Orthodox Traditions, they place a high importance on spiritual support, involving a priest to provide prayers and blessings, and also most of the Greek families prefer to be with their loved ones in their final moments, and also we usual put Greek icons in the room, soft music, they were also highlighted in the module.
Encouraging a compassionate approach, to empower and respect the choices of those in their last years, months and days of life.
