The stage play "The Moon and the Bakunawa: A Carer’s Story" has recently been performed in major Australian cities. It explores the complex challenges dementia caregivers face through the lens of Filipino cultural values. This powerful production delves into the responsibilities of caregiving within Filipino traditions and has received significant support from Chung Wah Community Care (CWCC), showcasing a profound blend of culture and emotion.
This production is inspired by the personal experiences of writer and director Nitoy Chan. While caring for his mother with dementia, he faced the challenges of traditional Filipino gender roles, where daughters are typically expected to care for aging parents. The cultural norm of respecting and obeying elders made it hard for him, as a son, to give instructions to his mother. This conflict revealed that caregivers endure not only physical exhaustion but also emotional isolation and psychological burdens.
In Australia, many carers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities remain unaware of the available
support resources. This raises an important question: How can we break down cultural barriers to ensure all carers have equal access to support?
The CWCC plays a vital role in this effort by providing culturally appropriate services and helping carers acquire essential skills and access relevant resources through programs like Care Finder and Carer Gateway.
Dementia care is a social issue that urges us to improve support systems for caregivers in a multicultural context. Can we create a society where no caregiver feels isolated? "The Moon and the Bakunawa
" encourages us to consider this collective challenge.
