As people are living longer, residential living has become a fact of life for those who need
extensive care and are no longer able to live in the community. Care facilities, bound by
legislative requirements, follow strict government guidelines and, unless identified
specifically as ethno-specific, accept all 'cultures and creeds'. The quality of life for people
residing in facilities has been a focal point for some years, and the requirement to provide a
home-like atmosphere emphasised. However, a home-like environment is difficult to define
because of its subjective interpretation.
This thesis reports on a small study of residents, family/friends and staff connected with
three residential aged-care facilities in Melbourne's western suburbs. Their experiences and
opinions have been gathered to establish their definitions of a culturally sensitive home-like
environment, the ways they experience their own facilities, and what they regard as the
positive and negative qualities of their facilities.