PRACTIS: PRimary health and Aged Care Translation and Interpreting Services

Australians living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) represent some of the sickest and most vulnerable members of the community and frequently suffer from acute, chronic and complex conditions. One third of Residential Aged Care Facility residents in Victoria are from a non-English speaking background and the number is projected to increase over the next 10 years. There is strong evidence that effective communication with Residential Aged Care Facility residents is necessary for equitable, safe and high quality care. Indeed, Commonwealth and State policies highlight patients’ “right to an accredited interpreter if [they] need one when using a publicly funded healthcare service”. Yet, there is little data on current communication practices in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities for residents with limited English proficiency. There is no information on rates of interpreter use, what factors influence staff decisions to use interpreters, or the impact of communication barriers on the delivery of primary healthcare services and variability in unplanned emergency department transfers. The overall aim of the PRACTIS project is to improve the delivery of care to older Australians with limited English proficiency living in Residential Aged Care Facilities. To learn more about the PRACTIS project, visit: https://www.monash.edu/medicine/spahc/research/practis