Chung Wah Community Care (CWCC) held its first Advance Care Planning (ACP) workshop in the Vietnamese migrant community, attracting the active participation of over 20 Vietnamese clients. The session was led by Dr. Hien Nguyen, a Research Fellow at the Social Ageing Futures Lab (SAGE) at Edith Cowan University, marking CWCC's pioneering efforts in promoting this vital topic within the Vietnamese community.
In many Vietnamese-speaking migrant communities, talking about death, illness, and the later stage of life is considered taboo. Discussions about sickness, especially related to chronic conditions or frailty, are often avoided because of the belief that such topics bring bad luck to those who are ill or nearing the end of their life. This cultural sensitivity can make it difficult for people to think about or plan for their healthcare in the future.
Recognising these challenges, Chung Wah Community Care (CWCC), in partnership with the ECU SAGE Lab and Palliative Care WA, organised a series of culturally sensitive presentations on ACP. Rather than addressing the topic directly with immigrant seniors, CWCC presented the topic in a way that was engaging and respectful of cultural norms. The workshop started by sharing personal stories and experiences from the community, to help normalise the idea of advance care planning. Senior participants were encouraged to consider their healthcare wishes and how those preferences could be communicated, especially if they became seriously ill and could no longer speak for themselves.
To ensure cultural respect, the workshop avoided using words like "die," "death," or "deceased," instead using gentler phrases such as "pass away" and "lay down", which are more acceptable to the Vietnamese migrants. This thoughtful choice of languages helped create a comfortable environment for senior participants to share their feelings and thoughts. The workshop was also broken into shorter, more manageable segments, allowing time for personal voices, sharing, and group discussions. This approach encouraged seniors to share their stories, opinions, and experiences, fostering mutual understanding, community, and support.
The key message of ACP is to "Think, Talk, Write, and Share" – to THINK about what matters most in terms of healthcare, TALK about it with loved ones and healthcare providers, WRITE down these wishes for future reference, and SHARE those written documents with carers, family, friends, doctors and other medical professionals, hospital, as well as saved them in medical wallet and Health Record. By doing so, individuals can ensure their treatment preferences are respected and their families are not left guessing during difficult times.
As the first organisation to systematically introduce this topic within the Vietnamese immigrant community, CWCC's innovative approach demonstrates its leadership in promoting health equity and cultural inclusivity, setting an example for other multicultural communities.
