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Care relationships, quality of care and migrant workers caring for older people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2012

KIERAN WALSH  and
ISABEL SHUTES
KIERAN WALSH*
Affiliation:
Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, National University of IrelandGalway, Ireland.
ISABEL SHUTES
Affiliation:
Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Kieran Walsh, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. E-mail: kieran.walsh@nuigalway.ie
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Abstract

Migrant care workers make a substantial contribution to older adult care in Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK). However, little is known about the relational aspects of care involving migrant care workers and older people. Given that the care relationship is closely linked to quality of care, and that the Irish and UK sectors are increasingly restricted by economic austerity measures, this lack of information is a concern for care practice and policy. Our paper explores the relationship between migrant care workers and older people in Ireland and the UK and draws on data collected in both countries, including focus groups with older people (N = 41), interviews with migrant care workers (N = 90) and data from a survey of and interviews with employers. The findings illustrate the complexity of the migrant care worker–older person relationship; the prevalence of need orientated, friendship and familial-like, reciprocal, and discriminatory interlinking themes; and the role of individual, structural and temporal factors in shaping these relationships.

Keywords

older peoplemigrant care workerscare relationshipquality of care
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , April 2013 , pp. 393 - 420
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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