Women migrants and refugees working in residential aged care: the impact of human resource diversity management on quality care

As part of a larger study into the residential aged care multicultural workforce, this paper draws on data obtained from qualitative interviews and focus groups with female staff who were immigrants, international students or refugees. The care workers and registered nurses were from Asia, Europe, the Indo-Asia Pacific regions and Africa and were employed by two faith based Residential Aged Care organisations in South Australia. The paper examines the way these staff discuss the safe organisational environment provided by these two not-for-profit organisations, whilst in the wider Australian environment low levels of hostility towards migrants and refugees is a constant political force. We argue that this ethic and philosophy, together with the human resource diversity management strategies in place, act as points of resistance against mainstream racism. Furthermore, this organisational culture operates as a mechanism in assisting culturally and linguistically diverse staff to transition into the wider Australian society, and is also as a vehicle for enhancing resident care.