Ageing in Australia as an African migrant

Ageing or living with a disability can be a confronting experience for many older people and their families.

Add to this the difficulties of living in another country, experiencing language barriers and being far away from your usual support network of family, friends and community, and the challenge becomes far greater.

This is the experience of many older African migrants living in Australia today.

We conducted a study to explore how older African migrants living with disabilities navigate access to support services here in Melbourne.

This work was inspired by another study which provides the only current evidence on how African migrants cope with stress while integrating into life in Australia.

Our research found that factors like isolation, language barriers and lengthy wait times for essential services are having a real impact on the lives of older African migrants. 

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Isolation and loneliness among older African migrants

Isolation among ageing and disabled African migrants in Australia is a major contributor to feelings of loneliness.

Several people in our study said that their isolation was exacerbated by the inadequacies of support services like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and the changing dynamics of family life in a new country.

Those relying on NDIS support said that the time allocated for their care was insufficient and that sometimes NDIS workers were stretched thin, leading to brief visits without meaningful interaction.

This lack of engagement leaves older adults feeling neglected and isolated, missing out on the companionship and connection that longer, more personal visits would provide.

For those with family living in Australia, the struggle to receive enough support from their children, due to competing demands of work and young families, adds to feelings of isolation.

Mary*, a 70-year-old migrant from Sierra Leone living with a disability, says: “they leave you with the TV when day breaks. They are all gone to work.”

For 68-year-old Alpha from Liberia, loneliness stems from the fact that his partner isn’t with him in Australia.

“I live by myself which is isolating… I don’t have permanent support in the home. I have put in for a partner visa but that is being processed. I have just been discharged from surgery but there is nobody at home to support me. My wife would do that if she was here.”

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Many people we spoke to also compared their current situation to their previous lives in their home countries, where community and familial support were readily available.

“Sitting at home makes people older here,” says Mary. “Back home, you have land, [you] go do gardening.”

Some of the carers we spoke to supported this, but also attributed older migrants’ isolation to the pressures of integrating and surviving in their host countries.

“CALD [culturally and linguistically diverse] older adults find it really difficult to settle because it is hard to meet the standard [of] living [expected of them] in Australia,” says Fa, who is a family member and carer for one of the elderly migrants in our study.

“Society here requires you to drive, work, read and write, manage your own finances, pay bills and stay up-to-date [on] everything.”

Language as a barrier

It quickly became clear during our study that many older migrants face real challenges in navigating essential services because of limited language proficiency in their new country.

This can hinder access to adequate healthcare, social services and community support and leads to frustration and isolation – particularly in the absence of children or carers who often act as interpreters.

Older migrants also expressed dissatisfaction with the availability of professional interpreters, with many saying that translation services are either insufficient or unavailable when needed, leaving them struggling to communicate their needs and concerns effectively.

This lack of support exacerbates feelings of helplessness, as they feel unable to advocate for themselves or understand information that’s critical to their health.

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As Kpanah, a 68-year-old from Liberia, explains: “I don’t understand the doctor because I don’t speak the language and there are no interpreters for my language here. I can’t go to the doctor without my daughter. My daughter has to explain everything to me in our language.”

While many family carers said that maintaining their language was critical for older migrants as it connects them with their communities and their cultural identities, others expressed concerns about confidentiality when African migrants rely heavily on others to translate sensitive medical information to healthcare providers.

For some, a solution to these problems would be to introduce dedicated African care centres where migrants can engage with peers who share similar cultural backgrounds and experiences.

This would provide a supportive environment where language is not a barrier, allowing for more meaningful interactions. 

“We need to have aged care according to our culture,” says Deng, a 50-year-old migrant from the South Sudanese community. “We can train other people [about] our culture, but we need our own people in aged care.”

Barriers to receiving essential medical care

Our research tells us that many older migrants are facing long wait times for essential medical services, including specialist consultations, surgeries and rehabilitation, with delays often exacerbating existing health conditions.

Some people in our study said that the inability to access timely care often led to a deterioration in both their physical and mental health, contributing to feelings of hopelessness and frustration.

“Waitlists take forever which requires you to follow up and follow up and follow up,” Fa says.

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For Yassa, a 60-year-old Liberian woman, it was a similar story: “Every other year, the doctor sends me for specialist heart check-ups, but it is a long wait. I have been waiting for 12 months.”

Our research highlights the significant challenges facing older African people, including those living with disabilities, in Melbourne today.

It reveals just how important it is to improve policy and support services available to older African migrants, as well as to raise awareness and foster inclusivity for their families and carers.

Our future work will explore how greater collaboration between industry providers, governments and these families can effectively support the African Australian community, not just in Melbourne but across the country.  

*Names of individuals have been changed throughout the article.

This project was funded by the Melbourne Disability Institute Seed Fund at the University of Melbourne.