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Filipino Health Care Aides and the Nursing Home Labour Market in Winnipeg*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2013

Sheila Novek
Sheila Novek*
Affiliation:
Centre on Aging, University of Manitoba
*
†Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Sheila Novek, M.Sc. Centre on Aging 338 Isbister Building University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 (umnovek@myumanitoba.ca)
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Abstract

Canada’s nursing homes have become increasingly dependent on immigrant health care aides. More than any other ethnic group, Filipino women are over-represented among health care aides in the Canadian health care system. This qualitative study explored the employment experiences of Filipino health care aides in nursing homes from their own perspectives as well as those of policy stakeholders. Fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted with Filipino health care aides and long-term-care policy stakeholders in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The results indicated that migrant social networks act as pathways linking immigrant women with employment opportunities in nursing homes. The composition of the labour force is also shaped by management strategies and labour market accommodations that respond to, and reinforce, these social networks. These findings have implications for workforce planning and the quality of care provision in nursing homes.

Résumé

Les maisons de soins infirmiers au Canada sont devenues de plus en plus dépendante des aides soignants immigrants. Plus qu’aucun autre groupe ethnique, les femmes philippines sont surrépresentées parmi les aidants (aides soignantes) dans le système de soins de santé canadien. Cette étude qualitative a exploré les expériences d’emploi des aides soignants immigrantes dans les maisons de soins infirmiers, de leurs points de vues, ainsi que ceux des intervenants. Quatorze entrevues ont été menées à Winnipeg, au Manitoba, avec aides de soins de santé philippines et avec les intervenants de soins de longue durée. Les résultats indiquaient que les réseaux sociaux immigrants agissent comme des voies reliant les femmes immigrantes des opportunités d’emploi dans les maisons des soins infirmiers. La composition de la main-d’œuvre est également faconnée par les stratégies de gestion et les ajustements du marché du travail, qui répondent à et renforcent ces réseaux sociaux. Ces résultats ont des implications pour la planification de la main-d’œuvre et la qualité de la prestation de soins dans les maisons de soins infirmiers.

Keywords

aginghealth care aidesimmigrant womennursing homessocial networksvieillissementaides soignants immigrantsimmigrantesmaisons de soins infirmiersréseaux sociaux
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 405 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2013 

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Footnotes

*

I am grateful to my advisor, Patricia Kaufert, and committee members, Ivy Lynn Bourgeault and Verena Menec, for their expert guidance and critical feedback. Special thanks, posthumously, to Barbara Payne for her feedback and support. I am particularly grateful to the participants of this study for their time and contributions. The research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship.

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