Information Practices of Family Carers: Towards Equitable Access to Home Care Packages and Culturally Responsive Care for Migrant Older Adults in Australia

Equitable access to Home Care Packages (HCPs) for migrant older adults in Australia remains underexplored, particularly regarding the role of family carers in mediating information access and use. Despite the growing migrant older adult population, many individuals experience difficulties in understanding, accessing, and navigating home care information due to comorbidities, limited English proficiency, and the complexity of aged care systems. Consequently, family carers play a critical role in facilitating engagement with HCPs-related information. However, limited research has investigated how family carers support information access and decision-making in this context. To address this gap, this study employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 14 primary family carers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with data analysed thematically. Findings indicate that equitable access to HCPs information and services is enabled through carers acting as key information intermediaries, particularly in system navigation and decision-making support. This intermediation is shaped by cultural factors, including filial responsibility shaping family involvement, preferences for ageing in place and independence, and culturally grounded norms, beliefs, and faith. The study demonstrates that migrant older adults’ access to home care information and services is a relational, carer-mediated process rather than an individual one, particularly due to mobility limitations and multiple health conditions. These findings contribute to migrant information research by demonstrating the critical role of family carers in facilitating culturally responsive and equitable access to aged care information and services.