Help-seeking and service use for dementia in Italian, Greek and Chinese Australians

Abstract

Objective: To explore the help-seeking strategies and the acceptance of services among a national sample of Italian, Greek and Chinese compared to third generation Australians.

Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey of 350 Italian, 414 Greek, 437 Chinese and 500 third generation Australians whose households were randomly selected from the national telephone directory was carried out. Participants were asked how they would seek help for a character in a vignette with dementia and what aged care services they would use.

Results: The most frequently reported sources of help for all participants were general practitioners (55%), community organisations (27%) and family (26%). Significantly more racial minority participants reported that they would seek help from their families (32%) than did third generation Australians (13%). The percentage of participants who reported they would use aged care services were 96% for day activities, 95% for community nursing, 93% for bus outings, 91% for home help with housework, 88% for carer's support groups, 83% for nursing home care, 78% for one-week respite and 67% for Meals-on-Wheels. Racial minorities were equally or more likely to say that they would use some community-based services than third generation Australians and less likely to use residential respite. Italians were less likely to use permanent residential care. Acculturation parameters were inconsistently associated with help-seeking and service acceptability.

Conclusions: Racial minority groups have a greater preference for community services than third generation Australians. There are differences between racial minority groups on help-seeking and acceptability of services. Education and outreach to these groups needs to be tailored.

Keywords:

• dementia
• racial minorities
• help-seeking
• service use

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by NHMRC grants 510308, 455377 and 366756, and supported by the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre: Assessment and Better Care Outcomes as part of the Australian Government's Dementia: A National Health Priority Initiative. We thank the participants, bilingual interviewers, the Sydney Comitato Assistenza Italiani (Co.As.It.), the Sydney Greek Welfare Centre and the Sydney Chinese Australian Services Society (CASS).