Building a firm foundation for aged care philanthropy

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Posted on 24 Sep 2024

By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

A new aged care foundation has been established to address what its founders claim is a significant funding gap in the philanthropic landscape.

Fronditha Care said it had launched the Fronditha Care Foundation to address a range of barriers faced by older Australians in need of aged care, particularly those from multicultural backgrounds.

The not-for-profit aged and residential care provider said that although Australia’s three largest philanthropic foundations disbursed $585 million between them in 2023, the sector was still chronically underfunded and far from a priority for philanthropy.

Fronditha Care said while aged care had attracted significant attention and investment since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, barriers to accessible, culturally appropriate aged care were still a problem.

These included:

language barriers: Limited proficiency in English can make it difficult for older Australians to understand their care options and navigate the healthcare system.

social isolation: Feeling truly cared for at home or in a residential facility means more than meeting a person’s medical needs. If a resident wants to share memories or talk about interests such as politics, historical events or music but can’t communicate with care staff because of language and cultural barriers, they can be left feeling isolated in their daily life.

cultural competence: Care preferences and cultural practices may not be fully understood by service providers, especially those from Anglo-Celtic backgrounds.

Fronditha Care said services must be not only language-accessible but also culturally sensitive.

This could mean offering private spaces for prayer, understanding the religious significance of certain foods, and respecting fasting holidays when scheduling medications.

In some cultures, there’s also a strong preference for elders to be cared for at home by family, which can delay engagement with formal aged care services, making home care a more suitable option.

Fronditha Care, which caters largely to Australians of Greek heritage, said the new foundation would make grants available nationally to support research, programs and advocacy that enhance the health and wellbeing of Australians, with a particular focus on improving the aged care experience for those from culturally diverse backgrounds.

“Australia’s attitudes towards residential aged care have shifted, with many elders wanting to age in place and accessing respite or ongoing care much later.”

Fronditha Care CEO Faye Spiteri.

The announcement follows a $5.6 billion suite of aged care reforms recently announced by the federal government, which include more support for up to 1.4 million older Australians who choose to stay in their own homes.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census revealed the proportion of older people from culturally diverse backgrounds is increasing at a faster rate than that of the rest of the population.

Fronditha Care CEO Faye Spiteri said Australia’s diverse community has become even more so, with 30 per cent of Australians born overseas and half of the population having at least one overseas-born parent.

She said this presented a unique opportunity for the Foundation to enhance aged care and tailor it to specific cultural needs, ensuring Australians can access programs and support that is right for their family members, when they need it.

“Australia’s attitudes towards residential aged care have shifted, with many elders wanting to age in place and accessing respite or ongoing care much later,” said Ms Spiteri.

“Fronditha Care is exploring, through the work of its Foundation, innovative programs and services to support elders no matter where they are in their aged care journey.”

The Foundation plans to distribute grants in two categories:

‘Partnership projects’ that prioritise social impact at a local level and have a direct positive influence on Fronditha Care’s residents, workforce and operations, resulting in incremental improvements that may benefit the wider aged care sector over time.

‘Transformative projects’ comprising collaborative efforts with multiple partners aimed at delivering transformational change across the aged care sector.

The Foundation is already collaborating with Dementia Australia, the Australian and Aged Community Care Providers Association and Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia.

The inaugural chair of the Fronditha Care Foundation, Dr Stella Laletas, said the Foundation’s launch has come at an ideal time, as the Australian government and aged care sector rethink traditional models of care.

“Fronditha Care has specialised in providing culturally appropriate care for nearly 50 years,” she said.

“The launch of the Fronditha Care Foundation is an exciting new chapter for us as we continue our mission to advance the health and wellbeing for all older Australians.”