EnCOMPASS: Multicultural Aged Care Connector
This evaluation project was conducted by Charles Darwin University on behalf of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. The project aimed to evaluate the EnCOMPASS: Multicultural Aged Care Connector (EnCOMPASS Connector) program – a partnership between FECCA and 23 local community organisations to provide navigational support to older people of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and their communities to access the aged care system (My Aged Care) and other supports through a dedicated network of support navigators called Connectors. My Aged Care is the Commonwealth Government’s organisational structure and set of systems and processes that screen and assess older persons’ eligibility for support services provided by the Australian aged care system and then facilitate access to these services.
Connectors were employed by 23 organisations across 29 sites in all states and territories. The evaluation aims to evaluate both the EnCOMPASS program itself and to inform the Care Finder program, a new aged care navigation program implemented by Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and with a broader remit than older persons from CALD backgrounds. The evaluation may also inform other FECCA programs and other care navigation programs in general.
The report had the following key findings when evaluating client outcomes:
- Client Complexity:
- A complexity index identified that 52% of clients had medium complexity, 39% high complexity, and 9% low complexity. High-complexity clients were more likely referred to My Aged Care, while lower-complexity clients were often directed to other services and had closed cases by year-end.
- Four-Phase Client Support:
- Client support followed four stages: engaging clients, working with varying readiness levels, connecting to My Aged Care, and maximizing aged care services.
- Engagement Quality:
- Bi-cultural Engagement: Connectors who shared cultural and language backgrounds with clients built high rapport, leading to trust and effective engagement.
- Interpreter Use: Relying on interpreters often led to weak rapport, as clients felt less personally connected.
- Client Readiness for Services:
- High Rapport Needed for Low Readiness: Connectors with established rapport helped clients overcome hesitancy about aged care by addressing cultural and personal reservations.
- High Readiness Requires Less Rapport: When clients were already open to aged care, simple, clear communication was sufficient.
- Navigating My Aged Care:
- Rapport Essential for High-Complexity Cases: In cases with complex needs, Connectors who showed persistence and cultural understanding provided critical support, helping clients navigate administrative challenges and advocate for their needs.
- Low-Need Clients Prepared for Future: Connectors also assisted lower-complexity clients with language and registration support to prepare for future needs.
- Challenges with Service Continuity:
- Continued Connector Support During Waits: Connectors maintained contact while clients awaited assessments, reducing the risk of disengagement.
- Systemic Limitations Beyond Connector Influence: When Connectors could no longer intervene, clients often faced service inconsistencies, access issues, or prohibitive costs, leading some to abandon needed services despite the Connector’s best efforts
