Project Title: Family Caregiving in Ethnic Communities in Australia: An exploration of opportunities and challenges.
Researchers: The project is a collaboration between ANU and FECCA. The main investigators are Rafat Hussain (ANU), Mary Ann Geronimo (FECCA) and an international link with Rahul Malhotra, (Duke-NUS, with expertise in family caregiving in multi-ethnic communities in Singapore).
Why is this research needed?
Australia has and continues to be rapidly becoming highly multicultural (latest Census results confirm this). Although the number of people belonging to ethnic/CALD communities is growing fast, but there is very little information on their social and healthcare needs of unpaid family care providers. The Federal and State governments are keen to support family care-providers, but the lack of evidence on key issues, leads to limited changes in the policy direction of how best to support family caregivers.
Aim of the project:
This is a small time-limited pilot study to assess issues faced by family caregiving in four ethnic groups – Chinese, Cambodian, Indian and Vietnamese. We hope that later with additional funding we can expand this study to include many other ethnic communities.
To be eligible to participate in this study:
Participants must be: aged 18 years and older; provide regular care to one or more family members for the past six months or longer period; be resident in ACT or NSW. The issues requiring care can be long-term health issues of children or adults including old age leading to inability to be fully independent.
- Regular care is defined as providing more than 10 hours per week [unpaid] to one or more other family members, who can be either blood relatives, in-laws or others in the extended family, living in the same or different house in the same city.
What do you need to do?
We need your help, to recruit the targeted population of 400 CALD family caregivers, that belong to the above-mentioned four ethnic groups. We are asking for your help as you are a member or a representative of an ethnic/CALD community-based agency. Specific details are:
- Share information about this study through your regular community forums. This could be via using social media, newsletters, emails, or word of mouth. You can use the provided flyer, and if possible, provide us a time to speak to one or more community events.
- If you would like to participate, please let us know by contacting the research team directly by email: caldfamilycaregiving@gmail.com or by phone 0459135666 and we will supply your agency with the project information package which includes: a) Participant Information Sheet, b) Survey form with reply-paid (postage-free envelopes with printed address label, and c) Raffle form with its own small with reply-paid postage-free envelopes. The completed forms will either be collected by us (ACT) or you can return them to us using Australia Post. We will organise the collection and payment of the return postage.
In an effort to be as inclusive as possible and meet the needs of different carers, there is the option to either complete the printed paper form or use the online survey.
Online form:
Participants can simply access the project information sheet and complete the survey online using the project link .
Paper form:
Participants can complete the paper form:
- On the premises of your ethnic/CALD community-based agency or social clubs in ACT [we will collect the sealed envelopes from the venue]
- Or at home, as interested participants can take a project information package home and send the completed forms back to us using the supplied reply paid (postage-paid) envelopes that are provided within the package.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
ALL PARTICIPANT INFORMATION IS ANONYMOUS we will not know the identity of the participants as we are not collecting any personal identifying information.
RAFFLE VOUCHERS
We understand that caregivers have many responsibilities. As a small token of appreciation for the time taken to complete the survey, we are offering a raffle draw for participants to win one (1) of four (4) $50 Woolworths gift cards. All participants that complete the full survey are eligible to enter the raffle draw. The raffle form can be completed using a fictitious name to maintain anonymity.
Use of data and feedback:
The collected information will be used and focused upon how to improve support services for family caregivers across different age groups and if there are specific needs of certain groups.
Feedback: Once the project is complete you and the participants can download a copy of the combined report from the project webpage. We will also send you several printed copies that interested community members can read or take with them.
NOTE: We do not anticipate that the survey will cause distress, however, if you feel upset by the content of this flyer or the nominated area of research free confidential telephone counselling is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Lifeline by calling 13 11 14.
Contact details:
If you need more information before completing the survey, please free to contact the research team directly by either:
Email: caldfamilycaregiving@gmail.com
Phone: 0459 135 666
If you have any concerns or complaints about how this research has been conducted, please contact the Ethics Manager at the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee by phone: 02 6125 3427 or email: Human.Ethics.Officer@anu.edu.au
Ethics Committee Clearance:
This study including the survey form and raffle draw has been approved by the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol 2022/074).
