Community Partners Program (CPP) is a Federal Government initiative which addresses the needs of the rapidly growing population of people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

For a number of years RWS has been receiving funding to help meet the needs of those in our community, and to provide links and access opportunities for the aged in our community into mainstream services.

RWS has existing relationships with allied health service providers, local government and local community. This together with our expertise in multicultural aged care, best places RWS in a position to run a CPP.

RWS CPP program is a statewide initiative which aims to assist people of Russian background to:

1. Make better informed decisions about aged care options;
2. Increase our clients accessibility to aged care support;
3. Identify and address the barriers members of our community face when considering aged care;
4. Develop resources and information for the aged in our community.

On the other hand we aim to:
1. Endow aged care service providers with knowledge and information with reference to culturally appropriate aged care
2. Develop resources for aged care providers.
3. To provide non ethnic specific residential aged care facilities with resources to cater for the cultural needs of their ethnic residents.

To reach these objectives the CPP program is continually running information sessions at all the Russian Senior Citizen's clubs in Melbourne:

• Dandenong
• Yarraville
• Box Hill
• Glenroy
• Prahran
• Morwell
• Frankston
• Fitzroy

We have also provided Cultural Awareness sessions to a number of local government organisations. One of our major partners in the CPP initiative is Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care (PICAC). Together with PICAC we are able to deliver more informative information sessions to our clients, and develop strategies to meet the needs of the aged in our community.

The following has been achieved:
1. A data base of Russian speaking aged members of the community has been prepared and is continually updated. The purpose is to identify those in need of information and linkage into mainstream services.
2. Successful information sessions were held on topics of concern: “Ageing, Healthy Living and Lifestyle”; “Options in Aged Care and Aged Care assessment services”.
3. Letters were sent to all aged care providers in Victoria to identify Russian speakers in non Russian speaking environments, with a view to offering resources and support to these service providers and their residents.
4. A brochure of basic aged care services has been produced and is available to clients and service providers.
5. Recipes of the Russian food suitable for the aged have been prepared and are available on this website.

Palliative care: Explanation