Who speaks my language? Linguistic diversity among people living in Australian residential aged care facilities

Objectives

Australia's migration programs mean that an increasing number of people living in residential aged care (RAC) were born in a non-main English-speaking country (NMESC) and have a preferred language other than English (LOTE). This study describes the number of such residents in aged care facilities in Australia and discusses the implications for their care.

Methods

This study presents a secondary analysis of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Aged Care Data Clearinghouse 2020–2021 to examine the country of birth and preferred language of people living in RAC in each state and territory and the number of residents who are lone speakers of their language in their facility.

Results

Less than half (45 per cent) of the residents born in a NMESC had a preferred LOTE. Of those, 50 per cent spoke Italian, Greek or Cantonese. At least 60 other preferred languages were recorded, the majority with very few speakers. Australia-wide, more than one in five residents with a preferred top 20 LOTE are the lone speaker of their language in their facility. The proportion of lone speakers is highest in Tasmania, the ACT and Queensland.

Conclusions

Understanding the extent of language diversity, location and linguistic isolation of people living in RAC is essential for planning to ensure residents with a preferred LOTE receive high-quality, individualised care. There is a need for consistent and timely data collection about the diversity of aged care residents and workers in this sector.