Poster #93 - Digital Aged Care in a Multicultural Context: Policy Framing and Variation in Lived Experience

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

Population ageing, increasing cultural diversity, and persistent workforce constraints are placing pressure on aged care systems in multicultural societies. In response, governments globally are increasingly promoting digital technologies as one solution to enhance both efficiency and the quality of care delivery. In Australia, major reforms introduced in 2025, including a new Aged Care Act and a sector-wide digital transformation agenda, reflect this shift. However, limited attention has been paid to how these policy initiatives engage with cultural diversity and how they are experienced by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older populations.

This study examines how digital aged care policies are framed and how they are experienced in practice among diverse older migrant populations in Australia. It particularly focuses on how policy framing shapes variations in access to, understanding of, and engagement with digital aged care. First, a policy analysis of key Australian policy documents shows that while cultural diversity is acknowledged at a high level, culturally inclusive digital care remains under-specified. This creates space for variations in implementation and access. Second, based on 17 semi-structured interviews with older CALD migrants receiving home care, this qualitative study investigates how such policy initiatives are experienced in practice. Preliminary analysis reveals three key findings. First, there are substantial variations in awareness of government programs, access to digital supports, and levels of trust and engagement with digital technology in care settings. Second, these variations are shaped by intersecting factors, including language barriers, cultural expectations, digital literacy, trust, and prior experiences with care systems. Third, there is evidence that some participants rely on technologies outside government-funded programs, which reflects both navigation barriers and unmet needs within existing policy arrangements. More importantly, these findings highlight a critical policy challenge: digital transformation initiatives, when not sufficiently tailored to culturally diverse populations, may reinforce existing inequalities in access to care.

Overall, this study underscores the importance of understanding how digital care policy initiatives are experienced in practice across diverse populations. For policymakers and service providers, these findings call for more culturally responsive digital care to reduce access barriers and improve care quality. The findings also echo challenges observed in multicultural contexts such as the United States, where population heterogeneity complicates policy implementation and practice. By foregrounding variations in policy and lived experience, this study contributes to broader discussions on equity and implementation in digitally transforming aged care systems across multicultural societies.

Author

• Lili Shang, Social Policy Research Associates
  Presenting Author