Multilingual Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line

To support older people from culturally diverse backgrounds, the Australian Department of Health has funded the Multilingual Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line. Led by the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing, the aim of the Multilingual Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line is to increase access for older people from culturally diverse backgrounds to the Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line through the provision of multilingual phone support workers so that callers can speak in their preferred language about their needs.

The support line will provide callers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds across Australia access to information areas about:

• COVID-19 updates and restrictions that may affect them, their families or friends
• Information on types of residential and home aged care services
• Access to aged care and community services that are culturally aligned and speak their language.
• Information on dementia support or caring for someone living with dementia

The support line will run for six months from 10 February 2021 until 31 July 2021 will be offered in the following six languages:

• Arabic
• Cantonese
• Mandarin
• Greek
• Italian
• Vietnamese

Older people, their families and carers who would like information and support are encouraged to contact the Multilingual Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line Monday to Friday between 2pm and 5pm Melbourne time (except public holidays) on:

1800549844 – Italian
1800549845 – Greek
1800549846 – Vietnamese
1800549847 – Mandarin
1800549848 – Cantonese
1800549849 – Arabic