Patterns of home and community care service delivery to culturally and linguistically diverse residents of rural Victoria.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare patterns of Home and Community Care (HACC) utilisation among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people and Australian-born residents of rural Victoria.


METHODS
The HACC Minimum Data Set provides information regarding levels of service provision and coverage in Victoria. Data from January to June 2002 were analysed to provide a profile of client characteristics and service usage in rural Victoria. Patterns of service utilisation were compared with the profile of the CALD population in the 2001 Census.


RESULTS
The proportion of CALD residents who are HACC clients is consistent with demographic profiles. However, their extent of service usage is not consistent with patterns of use by Australian-born residents. HACC clients born in non-English-speaking countries, receive 35% less hours of HACC service than their Australian-born counterparts. HACC clients born overseas in English-speaking countries receive nine per cent less hours of HACC service than the Australian-born group (F = 8.9, P = 0.00). Both groups of overseas-born clients use a smaller range of HACC services (F = 1.9, P = 0.16).


CONCLUSIONS
Planners and service providers need to monitor levels of HACC service delivery among population groups to ensure that CALD population groups receive equitable levels of HACC services. The HACC Minimum Data Set is one source of data that can assist in this process.
Ward
Bernadette M
BM
School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, PO Box 199, Victoria 3552, Australia. b.ward@latrobe.edu.au
Anderson
Karen S
KS
Sheldon
Maria S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014739:Victoria