Healthy ageing: Older people are the heart of the family and community
Older people are valuable members of our families, communities and society. This Multicultural Health Week, we focus on supporting older people from multicultural communities to be healthy, active and socially connected, to keep them at the heart of our families and communities.
We can all support older people from multicultural communities overcome language and cultural barriers when accessing programs and services, recognising there is a higher prevalence of chronic health conditions and cancer in some multicultural communities.
We can also all do our part in supporting older people to stay connected and engage in healthy eating and physical activity. Small changes can make a big difference, like making and enjoying a healthy meal together, going for a walk, or encouraging older people to visit their GP.
- Being physically active every day is important for older people. Regular physical activity as we get older helps us stay independent, supports our mental health and helps prevent falls.
- Eating healthily can help older people feel and function better for life. It’s important to eat a healthy balanced diet and drink enough water to help us get the nutrients we need to thrive.
- Getting older is the biggest cancer risk factor, but finding cancer early can save lives. Learning about common symptoms, taking part in cancer screening and seeing a GP regularly can help.
- Being socially connected to family, friends, and the community is good for older people’s health and wellbeing and creates a sense of belonging. Social connectedness can lead to longer life, better health, and improved wellbeing.
NSW population continues to age, with 18.2% aged 65 years and over in 2023 in comparison of 17.6% in 2021 (ABS Census 2021).
Older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds represent a significant proportion of the older population living in NSW, with 36% of the 65 years and over population in NSW were born overseas (ABS Census 2021).
A lower English proficiency is associated with a higher prevalence of long-term health conditions; and the prevalence of chronic health conditions increase with time since arrival across all conditions for most countries of birth.
Older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are often supported by their family members, extended family and multicultural support organisations to access health information and services.
More than 36,000 people aged 60 and over are diagnosed with cancer every year in NSW – that’s almost three quarters of all cancer cases - https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/about-cancer/document-library/cancer-in-nsw-report-2024
17% of people diagnosed with cancer speak a language other than English at home – the most common are Italian, Arabic, Greek, Cantonese and Mandarin - https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/about-cancer/document-library/snapshot-of-cald-people-with-cancer
Our ambassadors from Chinese, Arabic, Greek, and Italian communities are role models for health ageing. Read their stories.
Our youth ambassadors take the lead to encourage their peers and families to support healthy ageing in older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Get involved in Multicultural Health Week 2025 by sharing your story about healthy ageing.
Help us spread the word to raise community awareness with resources in English and community languages.
Access translated resources that support healthy ageing, ranging from falls prevention, healthy lifestyle, services and programs, and cancer prevention and screening.
Multicultural Health Week launch at NSW Parliament House on 1 September marks the beginning of the Week, bringing together over 200 guests from the health sector and multicultural communities.
View Multicultural Health Week in previous years