Council on the Ageing (PICAC NT)
The Team at Council on the Ageing
Council on the Ageing
COTA NT (also known as Council on the Ageing Northern Territory) is the peak body representing the rights, interests and futures of senior Territorians. COTA NT advocate on issues that matter to older people, deliver programs and events that foster social connection and provide information and resources to support positive ageing. Their work promotes inclusion, independence and dignity for all seniors across the Northern Territory.
Get in touch: Find your local centre
Key Resources for CALD Seniors, Carers & Service Providers
ESSENTIAL READING: Caring for CALD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025*
Caring for CALD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025*
This toolkit is essential reading for any provider caring for seniors from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. It includes details on how to access information, resources and tools and provides access to online resources available in multiple languages.
Note: Prior to January 2025, the toolkit was published as the Cultural Background Resources.
https://www.cotant.org.au/picac/caring-for-cald-seniors-toolkit/
Advance Personal Plan (APP)
An Advance Personal Plan is a legal document that sets out your future health, financial and life choices should you be unable to make decisions for yourself. Read more about advance personal plans here.
This could happen due to age, illness, an accident, or other life-altering event.
In the Northern Territory the APP replaced the Enduring Power Of Attorney (EPA) in March 2014. An EPA made prior to this date remains valid.
- Available through PICAC in Chinese (hakka, simplified and traditional), Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese. Click here to access.
To learn more about the APP, how to make one, who to appoint as a decision maker, and more, please visit the COTA NT website or the Northern Territory Government website.


Aged Care Contract Checklists

Click here to access translations
Making a Contract with Clients from CaLD Backgrounds for Home Care* – PICAC has produced two checklists, one for service providers and one for clients.
- PICAC_ContractChecklist_Provider_EN As a Service Provider, you should be able to tick ‘yes’ to each of the 7 checklist items.
- PICAC_ContractChecklist_Client_EN Before signing a contract for home care, you should be able to tick yes to 10 checklist items.
Service Contracts Checklist in Multiple Languages
Industry Knowledge - Charter of Aged Care Rights
Free Translations of Documents for Service Providers
Free translations of documents for service providers
- Any of the resources produced by PICAC NT can be freely provided on request. *Aged care contract checklists can be translated free of charge, as can any contracts, flyers and administrative document used by service providers. Contact the PICAC Manager for help with translations.
Links to More Resources (a-z)
CALD Community Profiles (Department of Immigration and Citizenship)
CALD Community Profiles (Department of Immigration and Citizenship)
Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing – offers cue cards, aged care signage and multilingual health and aged care information, plus a section on dementia.
Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing – offers cue cards, aged care signage and multilingual health and aged care information, plus a section on dementia.
COVID-19 Cultural Background Resources
COVID-19 Cultural Background Resources (updated 22-04-2020)
COVID-19 Vaccine Multicultural Information Pack
COVID_19_Vaccine_Multicultural_Information_Pack (March 2022) – Resources in many languages, posters, stickers etc. – available from the Department of Health.
Cross Cultural Communication
Cross Cultural Communication – Visit the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health website for articles, reports and tolls associated with communication and language services for seniors from CALD backgrounds. Refer to Caring for CALD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025 (includes link to Tip Sheet: Speak with clients who have low English proficiency).
Cultural and Religious Guidelines for Service Providers (Northern Territory Office of Multicultural Affairs)
Cultural and Religious Guidelines for Service Providers (Northern Territory Office of Multicultural Affairs). Refer to Caring for CaLD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025.
Department of Health – The Department of Health web pages are available in multiple languages.
- Department of Health – The Department of Health web pages are available in multiple languages.
- Department of Health and Aged Care – Ageing and Aged Care
- New Charter of Aged Care Rights
- Diversity Framework and Action Plans
- The Aged Care Quality Standards (Here you may download the App)
Ethnic Media
Ethnic Media – Refer to Caring for CaLD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025 for directions on how to search for radio and TV them.
Meaningful Ageing Australia
Meaningful Ageing Australia – See Me Know Me resources help to start conversations with aged care providers and ensure that they see the real people behind names and numbers.
Mental Health
Mental Health – Visit the Mental Health in Multicultural Australia and the Dementia Australia websites for videos and fact sheets in multiple languages.
My Aged Care - Translated Information
My Aged Care -Translated information is available on this website. Refer to Caring for CALD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025.
Translating and Interpreting Service (Department of Immigration and Citizenship)
Translating and Interpreting Service (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) – available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides telephone and onsite interpreting services. More information available from TIS National on 131 450
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- Aboriginal Interpreter Service (NT Government) – 24 Hour on-call service: 1800 334 944
- AUSIT Guidelines for Health Professionals Working with Interpreters – Published by the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators Inc (AUSIT). Available online.
Training for Aged Care Service Providers
Free training to assist Aged Care Service Providers (residential and community based) to provide culturally appropriate aged care which is free from prejudice, shows an understanding of cultural diversity and an awareness of cultural norms and values, avoids stereotyping and which encourages and maintains community cultural links.
Topics may include:
- Cultural competence in service delivery
- Culture and continence
- Working effectively with Translators and Interpreters
- Culture and palliative care
- Working with a bi-lingual workforce
- Culture and dementia
- Working with new and emerging communities
- Cultural briefings.
Publications & Information
- Free provision of individual Non Verbal Communication Books (NVCB) for clients unable to communicate effectively in English.
- Provide aged care service providers with cultural information appropriate to client requirements.
- Promote the use of ‘in language’ information and documents available on trusted websites through its Caring for CALD Seniors Toolkit – Jan 2025 publication.
- Provide Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities and individuals with information about residential and community based aged care and other related issues such as healthy ageing.
- Distribute information regarding the various aged care services available: community based services; allied health professionals; the aged care assessment team; Commonwealth Home Support Package (CHSP); home care packages (HCP) and residential aged care facilities.
Promotion
- Promote the use of ‘in language’ information available on the My Aged Care website https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/other-languages.
Further Information
If you, your community group or organisation would like to talk about the PICAC program and how it may help your group or your clients, please contact the PICAC NT Program Manager.
2025
SeniorsVoice Jan-Mar 2025 – Speaking Your Language: Making Aged Care Accessible for All
SeniorsVoice Apr-Jun 2025 – Tools that make the difference
SeniorsVoice July-Sept 2025 – Good info matters
2024
SeniorsVoice Jan-Mar 2024 – Aged care contract tools offer essential guidance
SeniorsVoice Apr-Jun 2024 – Happiness on TV – Beyond the gloss: Navigating the realities of specialised aged care services
SeniorsVoice Jul-Sep 2024 – Accessing the right support information
SeniorsVoice Oct-Dec 2024 – More Than Words: Simple Ways to Connect in Dementia Care
2023
SeniorsVoice Nov-Jan 2023 – PICAC eliminating barriers
SeniorsVoice Jan-Mar 2023 – Food culture in aged care
SeniorsVoice Jul-Sep 2023 – New way of meeting aged care needs focuses on person-centred care
SeniorsVoice Oct-Dec 2023 – Local help for providers needing translation services in care provision
2022
SeniorsVoice Aug-Oct 2022 – Am I receiving you loud and clear?
PICAC NT maintains a resource library of culturally appropriate care information for multicultural seniors in the NT, and those who are caring for them. PICAC NT can provide resources, information and training on the following topics: culturally appropriate aged care, aged care, multilingual copies of selected Department of Health documents, health care issues for older Territorians and other cultures.
Click the button below to access the COTA NT Resource Library: