Wellways Carer Gateway offers new multilingual carer services

On Friday 25 August, Wellways Carer Gateway officially launched its new multilingual carer services at Bankstown Library. Attended by Merina Hutzler, Department of Social Services, and consortia partner Little Dreamers, Wellways came together with carers from various multicultural communities to celebrate the new services that aim to remove barriers to better support multilingual carers.

Wellways Carer Gateway now provides its carer services in Punjabi, Hindi, Khmer, Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Cambodian and Korean. This multilingual expansion of current services in South West Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains is designed to meet the needs of local communities, where more than 40 per cent of residents were born overseas, and 35 per cent speak a second language at home.

The event also released a new multilingual video series featuring the stories of real carers who have received invaluable support. Each video is available in language and in English with language subtitles.

Lived experience carer, Mary Seghabi, who features in one of the videos and cares for her grown-up son who lives with schizophrenia, said she often felt isolated and unsupported.

“In the Lebanese community, we cover up. I couldn’t tell anyone about my son for ten years”.

Mary said that the availability of carer coaching in her neighbourhood and in her mother-tongue made all the difference.

“We can speak the language, we can talk. In Arabic, I am more relaxed”.

Wellways Carer Gateway Director, Rachael Lovelock, a carer herself, spoke on the importance of supporting people within their community and how receiving help in their own language makes a significant difference to the lives of carers by reducing stress and improving wellbeing.

“There is so much demand for these services, and I am excited to confirm that more in-language services will become available in the near future, as it is crucial that carers feel supported and comfortable,” Rachel told those in attendance.

Wellways National Manager Marketing and Communications, Oliver Heuthe, spoke of his own experience as an immigrant and the challenges associated with it.

“Carers who don’t speak English have an extra burden when trying to navigate support services. By offering these services in language, we are making carer services as available as possible to carers,” Oliver said.

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative offering free support and services to people caring for a family member or friend who is living with a disability, long-term medical condition, mental illness, or who is frail due to old age.

Services include planning, counselling, coaching, practical assistance, and support groups. As a Carer Gateway service provider, Wellways provides these services throughout Queensland and South Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains in partnership with Dementia Australia, Little Dreamers, North and West Remote Health and Selectability.

Learn more about Wellways Carer Gateway.