Caring across cultures: A qualitative study of the workforce challenges and organizational issues of CALD aged care workers in australia’s residential aged care sector

The Australian aged care workforce is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. This study examines the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers in Australia's residential aged care sector, a workforce group that faces persistent challenges in delivering culturally safe care to CALD residents. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with 38 CALD aged care workers across four Australian states. The findings highlight how language barriers, cultural differences, and workplace structures shape everyday caregiving practices and interactions with residents from CALD backgrounds. Workers reported significant communication difficulties that affected care quality, alongside cultural misunderstandings that sometimes led to emotional strain and feelings of burnout. Heavy workloads, staffing shortages, rigid organizational policies, and limited access to culturally relevant training further constrained their ability to provide responsive care. Participants also identified broader systemic issues, including insufficient government policies and funding to support culturally inclusive aged care services. Beyond describing challenges, workers pointed to the need for future improvements, such as enhanced cultural competence training, better organizational support, and more flexible, inclusive care models. Overall, the study underscores the importance of addressing workforce shortages, discrimination, and policy gaps to better support CALD workers and improve the quality and cultural responsiveness of aged care in Australia.