Australia is a multicultural and diverse country. If you come from a culturally diverse background, speak a language that is not English, or have particular needs, you are not alone.
Your community
Whether you are an older person or you care for an older person, there is support available for people of different backgrounds and situations, including:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
- People living in rural and remote Australia
- Older people with disabilities
- Older people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, including LGBTI
- Care Leavers including Forgotten Australians, Former Child Migrants, and the Stolen Generations
- Veterans, war widows and widowers
- People who are financially disadvantaged
- Older people who are homeless or facing homelessness
Your language
My Aged Care can help you access aged care information in other languages and contact us when you need to. You can contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) for support to talk to My Aged Care.
Information available in 22 other languages
Translated materials on this website are for reference only and are not available to order in hard copy. If there is a difference between the translated material and the original English text, please refer to the English version.
Support for hearing and vision impairment
We provide information that is accessible for people with particular needs, such as hearing or vision impairment.
- My Aged Care is an accessible website, designed to be usable by people with particular needs.
- A friend or a family member can speak to My Aged Care on your behalf by becoming your representative.
- If you are Deaf, Deafblind or hard of hearing, you can access My Aged Care with a sign language interpreter from Deaf Connect.
- If you are visually impaired, you can access your support plan and other information through your My Aged Care Online Account which is accessed through myGov. You can also request information in large print or braille by contacting My Aged Care.
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)
People who have difficulty speaking or understanding English can contact My Aged Care through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National), for the cost of a local call:
- Call TIS National on 131 450
- Tell the operator the language you speak
- Ask the interpreter to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
You may need to wait on the line for the interpreter, or the operator may need to call you back when an interpreter is available.
When you are speaking with the interpreter, they will call My Aged Care for you and interpret your conversation.
You can also visit National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) for more translation and interpretation services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Interpreting Service
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (who speak one of the below languages) can connect to My Aged Care through Interpreter Connect.
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask for an interpreter from the following list of languages:
|
|
Through the interpreter, My Aged Care will answer your aged care questions and then, if asked to, assist you with accessing services.
National Relay Service (NRS)
People who have a hearing or speech impairment can contact My Aged Care through the National Relay Service in two easy steps:
- Select your preferred NRS call channels detailed on the NRS website
- Provide the NRS with our phone number: 1800 200 422.
Sign language interpreting Services
If you are Deaf, Deafblind, or hard of hearing, the National Sign Language Program (NSLP) provides free sign language interpreting and captioning services, for older people through Deaf Connect. The NSLP can help you engage with aged care services and take part in professional and social activities. You can also use Deaf Connect through the NSLP for health and medical appointments that have a Medicare rebate.
These services are available for people who don’t have access to interpreting services through aged care programs or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). You don’t need an aged care assessment to access this service.
To make a booking, visit the Deaf Connect website, call 1300 773 803 or email interpreting@deafconnect.org.au well in advance to ensure an interpreter is available.
Our Auslan captioned introduction video can also show you how My Aged Care can help you find Australian Government-funded aged care services.
Easy read brochures and booklets
Easy read is a format that presents information in a way that is simple to understand. It uses images to support text, large font and plenty of white space. Easy read documents can be read online or easily printed.
Easy read can be useful for people who are not familiar with English, or who have low literacy or a learning disability.
We have the following My Aged Care resources available in Easy read format:
- Booklet: Charter of Aged Care Rights (Easy read PDF)
- Booklet: Steps to enter an aged care home (Easy read PDF)
- Brochure: Find the help you need with My Aged Care (Easy read PDF)
- Brochure: After you've applied for My Aged Care (Easy read PDF)
- Booklet: Your guide to Commonwealth Home Support Programme services (Easy read PDF)
- Booklet: Your guide to Home Care Package services (Easy read PDF)
- Booklet: Your guide to short-term restorative care (Easy read PDF)
Website accessibility
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care takes seriously its obligation to provide information to all Australians and has taken steps to improve the accessibility of the information on the My Aged Care website.
All content produced for publishing on this website is designed in accordance with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standard, making the website usable for a wide range of people with special needs.
If you have any comments on the accessibility of the website, or if you have any suggestions for how we might improve it, please contact us.