CALD Assist

CALD Assist is a communication app that helps Western Health staff interact with patients who have limited English proficiency when an interpreter is not immediately available. CALD stands for ‘culturally and linguistically diverse’.

The app supports basic, essential communication in acute clinical settings and improves patient safety and experience. The app features key phrases translated into ten common languages, including audio, text, and visual cues.

CALD Assist is designed for Western Health clinicians supporting patients who: 

Have limited or no English proficiency. 

• Require immediate communication where interpreter access is delayed.
• Speak one of the ten languages currently available in the app.

CALD Assist includes over 200 pre-translated phrases that cover common interactions in hospital environments. 

These include prompts to assess pain, explain procedures, provide comfort, and ask questions that help staff understand patients’ needs. The app is not a replacement for professional interpreters but offers a vital bridge when urgent communication is required.

 Features include:

• Audio, text and image support for each phrase.
• Ten languages: Arabic, Cantonese, Croatian, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
• Categories such as admission, pain, eating and drinking, mobility, and discharge.
• Designed specifically for acute hospital care.

The app was developed by the Speech Pathology and Transcultural & Language Services teams at Western Health, in collaboration with other Victorian health services and the CSIRO.

CALD Assist is available on iPads across Western Health wards.

CALD Assist does not require a referral. It is installed on clinical iPads used across wards and accessible to all staff. For support or training, contact the Transcultural & Language Services team.

Download the CALD Assist app on the Apple App Store. 

For more information, or to provide feedback, please contact CALDAssist@wh.org.au.