Older migrants and loneliness: scanning the field and looking forward

Abstract Access and use patterns of both formal and informal services for older migrants are often examined in a dyadic framework where one group of older persons (or their caregivers) is studied in relation to their use of a program or service. A comparative approach, that might also examine the reasons that some persons may (or may not) use a service, may yield important findings that place the dyadic studies within a larger social and policy context. By using a comparative approach, we can also consider influences of the culture of origin for older adults and their caregivers, as well as the policies and programs offered in the destination country. The four papers on this panel explore these issues. The first paper will frame the discussion, and the remaining three will focus on informal care, formal care, and the point of contact between aging services professionals and older immigrants. The first paper (Torres) takes a broad look at social exclusion mechanisms that bar access to services due to racism in the host societies. The second presentation (Diederich, et. al.) examines how place of origin can influence caregiving behavior. The third paper, (Thiamwong) examines a single program that is used to serve multiple ethnic minority/immigrant groups. Finally, (Ring et. al.,) will examine trust or its absence in the attitudes of older migrants toward use of formal aging services in two migrant populations. The four papers also demonstrate how different research methods (qualitative, quantitative, scoping review) can be used to illuminate these issues. International Aging and Migration Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

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Older migrants to the Mediterranean: the Turkish example

Population Space and Place ◽

10.1002/psp.528 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 509-522 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Halil İbrahim Bahar ◽

Sedat Laçiner ◽

İhsan Bal ◽

Mehmet Özcan

Keyword(s):

Older Migrants ◽

The Mediterranean

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A broken chain? Colonial history, middle-class Indian migrants and intergenerational ambivalence

International Journal of Comparative Sociology ◽

10.1177/0020715218815728 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 60 (1-2) ◽

pp. 37-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ester Gallo

Keyword(s):

Middle Class ◽

Cultural History ◽

Migrant Children ◽

Colonial History ◽

Temporal Perspective ◽

Temporal Dimension ◽

Older Migrants ◽

Transnational Family ◽

Intergenerational Ambivalence ◽

The Life Course

The article explores ambivalence among middle-class Indian migrants who return to India after their retirement. It discusses intergenerational ambivalence from the dual perspectives of the relation between older migrants and their parents, and that linking the former to their migrant children today. Older migrants’ transnationalism is an important yet under-researched topic. It offers insights into the temporal dimension of ambivalence: how family contradictions accompany and change throughout the life course, and how they orient migrants’ understandings of the past, present, and future. Central to the analysis is the relation between migrant intergenerational ambivalence and the historical development of the Malayali middle class at home and in the diaspora. Moving beyond studies on ambivalence that mainly focus on Euro-American societies, it explores the phenomenon in postcolonial locations. The article discusses the extent to which colonial forms of socio-geographical mobility shape older migrants’ ambivalence across generations, vis-á-vis broader middle-class expectations around educational/professional attainment, reproductive choices, and care provision. It suggests that a temporal perspective on ambivalence is useful to highlight how transnational family ambivalence is shaped not only by present-day uncertainties but also by political and cultural history. It also enhances our understanding of how dispersed families negotiate ambivalence in the long term, and the cumulative effects of these negotiations in the production of novel care arrangements in the present.

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Older migrants’ access to healthcare: a thematic synthesis

International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care ◽

10.1108/ijmhsc-05-2018-0032 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 425-438 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sanjana Arora ◽

Astrid Bergland ◽

Melanie Straiton ◽

Bernd Rechel ◽

Jonas Debesay

Keyword(s):

Healthcare System ◽

Home Country ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Thematic Synthesis ◽

Older Migrants ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Geographical Scope ◽

Migrant Groups

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesise data from the existent literature on the experiences of non-western older migrants in Europe in accessing and using healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 1,606 records were reviewed and 12 studies were selected. A thematic synthesis using Thomas and Harden’s approach was conducted. Findings The findings resulted in the three overarching themes: traditional discourses under new circumstances; predisposed vulnerabilities of older migrants and the healthcare system; and the conceptualization of health and the roles of healthcare professionals. The authors found that older migrants’ experience of accessing healthcare is influenced by many factors, such as health literacy, differences in healthcare beliefs and language barriers, and is not limited to cultural and traditional discourses of care. Findings reveal that there is a limited body of knowledge on barriers experienced by older migrant women. Research limitations/implications The geographical scope of the study and subsequent type of healthcare systems should be taken into account while understanding barriers to care. Another limitation is that although we studied different migrant groups, the authors synthesised barriers experienced by all. Future research could study migrants as separate groups to better understand how previous experiences with healthcare in their home country and specific social, cultural and economic circumstances shape them. Originality/value This paper provides a synthesis of the experiences of migrants from non-western countries who moved to a host country with a very different language, culture and healthcare system.

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