Understanding cultural differences is important when dealing with older people from different ethnic backgrounds. By Cathy Wever.

When providing community care to an elderly Arabic woman whose daughter was struggling to manage her incontinence, Lana Belleville from Just Better Care, Macarthur, had to think creatively. "This lady also had dementia, so it was a difficult situation for her daughter/carer. In the end, I suggested she cut up some old white towels into small squares and let her mother use those, just as you would use cloth nappies on a baby, then soak them in the laundry and pop them in the wash." While such an approach may not suit many older Australians, in this case it was ideal. Reverting to memories from...