Greater choice and better care to support and build safe and inclusive practices for LGBTQI communities is now available through a series of learning tools and online resources
A partnership between Uniting and University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the project aims to meet the diverse needs of older LGBTI people, their families and carers. It also supports organisations and care teams by equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to grow inclusive and culturally appropriate care services, which is emphasised as a core element of quality in the new Aged Care Standards.
“This project has involved substantial community consultation and research and builds on Uniting’s commitment to create culturally safe and inclusive services for older LGBTI Australians,” said Lana Richards, Uniting Executive Manager (Ageing) Practice Excellence.
Funded by the Australian Government as part of their 2017 Dementia and Aged Care Services (DACS) grants program, there are four deliverables of the project:
- Interactive learning modules for aged care staff hosted by Altura Learning, focussing on LGBTI people in relation to dementia and end of life
- A web-based app, Mosaic – to assist LGBTI people to plan their ageing needs and support care teams to develop safe inclusive practices and aged care organisations to market their inclusive services
- A coaching program to extend the reach and impact of the resources in changing practice
- An evaluation of the resources and impact on practice conducted by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
“From the beginning, Uniting recognised that community engagement was critical and this extended to vendor partners – Altura and Planet Innovation – who embraced the communities’ involvement at every stage of development. This collaborative approach was imperative to ensure the content, tone and functionality reflected the needs of community,” said Lana.
The resources were co-designed and tested by LGBTI individuals, their guardians, care teams and aged care organisation representatives.
“Working with community in a co-design way was crucial to building trust and credibility so that the resources meet their needs and addresses issues or challenges. These are highly adaptable learning and planning tools which can be used anytime and anywhere. Whether you need to better plan your ageing and engage families of choice or equip care teams and aged care organisations with the assistance to support and build safe, inclusive practices,” said Lana.
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About Uniting
Uniting is responsible for the social justice, community services and chaplaincy work of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT, providing care and support for people through all ages and stages of life and with a focus on people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability. Our purpose is to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice. We celebrate diversity and welcome everyone exactly as they are.
