CLARE O’NEIL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SENIOR AUSTRALIANS AND AGED CARE SERVICES
MEMBER FOR HOTHAM

GED KEARNEY MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING
MEMBER FOR COOPER

An Albanese Labor Government will deliver better aged care services for the Italian community in the Northern suburbs by investing $1 million in the Mayflower aged care facility in Reservoir.

Labor’s $1 million commitment will make a real difference to the lives of Italian seniors, making aged care feel less like a facility and more like their local community.

Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds face barriers accessing aged care, especially services that meet their cultural, linguistic and religious needs.

Mayflower in Reservoir provides aged care built on the belief that seniors should thrive in a home environment and be surrounded by people that hold similar cultural values. Mayflower in Reservoir caters to the needs of the Italian community, with also residents of background from the Macedonian and Greek communities.

Staff at Mayflower in Reservoir speak Italian and the facility are planning to provide staff additional Italian language lessons so they can communicate with patients – particularly patients who may revert back to Italian as their mother-tongue in their elderly years.

Mayflower also has an Italian menu and celebrates Italian festivals, cultural events and plays Italian movies and music for residents. Mayflower also has an Italian Community Visitors Schemes to bring Italian speakers to visit the residents.

The $1 million funding will mean Mayflower in Reservoir can install outdoor pergolas so residents can spend more time outside, as well as playing bocce. The funding will also mean olive groves and a herb garden can be planted on the grounds.

Due to this funding from an incoming Labor Government, Mayflower can purchase a set of musical instruments so that residents with dementia have an outlet to be creative. This is proven to trigger positive memories of music in the lives of residents.  

The funding will also pay for solar panels, to make Mayflower more sustainable and allow them to save money on power bills.

Funding will be subject to the usual due diligence and administrative advice of the Department of Health.

Labor will make sure older Australians of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have access to the high quality, culturally sensitive support they need and deserve.

Aged care has always been a priority for Labor and it always will be.

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Clare O’Neil

“Only Labor will fix the crisis in aged care. We will introduce a suite of reforms while also making sure that individual facilities like Mayflower have the resources they need to offer the very best care.”

“This funding will create potting stations and raised garden beds so residents who love gardening can get their hands dirty while standing or in a wheelchair.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Cooper Ged Kearney

“Mayflower does a fabulous job taking care of older Italian residents – they already have an Italian menu and Italian speaking staff. This funding will allow Mayflower to offer more outside facilities for people to enjoy, like bocce.“

“An elected Labor Government will look after older people. We will put nurses into aged care homes 24/7 and fix the food in aged care facilities.”

MEDIA CONTACT (CLARE O’NEIL MP):

JACOB KAHANE | 0422 723 491

MEDIA CONTACT (GED KEARNEY MP):

LAURA SÖDERLIND | 0427 941 370

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.