A culture of caring

Tasmania’s Nepalese community is expanding and we’re delighted when its members choose to work with us.

The community numbers around 10,000 people in Hobart, 3,500 across the North and several hundred in the North West.

Community members use their skills across the aged care, hospitality, business, retail, and farming sectors, making them strong contributors to the Tasmanian economy.

Nepali has become the third most spoken language in the State, after English and Mandarin.

Community leaders have said that our weather and our hilly landscapes remind them of home, and they like our slower pace of life.

Meet Dawa

Dawa (pictured above) recently joined Anglicare’s Aged Care Services Scheduling team. Prior to that, she worked with us as a Home Care Worker.

Dawa explains that in her culture there is a high value placed on the happiness of older people.

“We respect the elderly and honour their wisdom and experience,” she said. “We use formal titles and honorifics, and physical gestures such as bowing or touching the feet of older adults. Nepalese culture also emphasises the importance of filial piety, which is the duty of children to care for their parents as they age.

“From early childhood we’re brought up to feel very connected with our grandparents. We also keep an eye out for any elderly person we see out in the community. For generations, we’ve supported and encouraged older people. It comes from inside,” she said.

“We know that little things can make a big difference. We also love sharing our language and our food and our customs. We celebrate festivals like Dashain and Losar (New Year).

When we do things together, we learn from each other and this benefits everyone.

A natural fit for the Anglicare values

General Manager Aged Care Services Ellen Nicholson says it’s clear that the personal values of  her Nepalese team members provide a natural fit for the Anglicare values of Respect, Hope, Compassion and Justice.

“Our service mirrors the diversity that exists in Tasmania today, as it should,” says Ellen.

Anglicare is enriched by cultural diversity and I’m proud to lead a multicultural team.

“We launched our Aged Care Services inclusion and diversity plan last year,” she adds. “It outlines our commitment to a more inclusive and diverse aged care service for our staff and clients. We provide training opportunities for our staff, and make our service agreements available in a range of languages for our clients. We are in the process of having our service booklet translated as well.”

Find out more about Anglicare’s aged care services here.