Uniting Aged Care Victoria and Tasmania (UACVT) is committed to caring, supporting and encouraging all peoples irrespective of age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, colour, creed or cultural origins.
Our commitment to diversity can be seen in the wide variety of services and groups available for our residents’ participation, and in the inclusive nature of our employment opportunities for staff and volunteers.
Dr Shan, President,
Tamil Seniors Fellowship Victoria
Dr Shanmuganathan, the President of the Tamil Seniors Fellowship Victoria, sought new ways to assist members of his community to remain independent and healthy members of their community.
Dr Shan, as everybody knows him, along with members of the Tamil Seniors Fellowship Victoria worked with UACVT staff to develop positive ageing programs that would promote exercise and good health in older members of the Tamil community.
As a result, Trewint Community Care based in Noble Park and Oakleigh Rehabilitation Programs in Oakleigh provide exercise programs that are both culturally appropriate and popular amongst members of the Tamil community.
Dr Shan says he knew the exercise programs were gaining popularity when enthusiastic participants told him they looked forward to coming.
Charyl Turner, Coordinator,
CAN-DLE project
Charyl has described her work as Coordinator of the CAN-DLE Project for UACVT as a rewarding experience. ‘We like to learn more about the people we serve and their service needs,’ she says.
The CAN-DLE (Carers Awareness Network – Dementia Linkages Evaluation) Project was an initiative of UACVT, funded by the Australian Government for one year.
‘We knew that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people and financially and socially disadvantaged people in the western suburbs were not accessing the full range of services available to those with dementia and their carers.’
In partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria the CAN-DLE Project assisted 168 clients to gain access to the services they needed.
Charyl also worked on another UACVT project this year designed to meet the needs of the CALD communities in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The Interpreter Services Awareness Campaign funded by the Victorian Multicultural Commission in partnership with Action Disability within Ethnic Communities (ADEC), provided valuable training and information to 40 health practitioners on how to access and work with interpreters.
Simcha Fetter, resident,
Girrawheen, Brighton
Simcha Fetter is a distinguished artist and a resident at Girrawheen residential aged care in Brighton.
This year, The Simcha Fetter Retrospective was exhibited at the Jewish Museum of Australia. Mr Fetter can no longer paint due to multiple sclerosis; however, his attitude remains impressively philosophical. Julie Szego of The Age reviewing the exhibition, quoted him as saying, ‘I think I live a lot in my children who are all very creative in different ways... Even in sickness, in leading this quiet life, I’m still able to follow through the wondrous ideas in my mind.' Szego said Mr Fetter also found creative release in singing wordless Hasidic melodies.