Social and Health Services for Ageing Migrants

Social and Health Services for Ageing Migrants
A variety of social and health care services has been
established in the last decades in countries of high
income to support the elderly and very old and their
families. Many of these services are criticized for being
insufficient and insensitive to the specific demands of
ageing migrants. Thus, socio-cultural barriers are hindering
ageing migrants to use existing services and to obtain adequate support for their needs. Lack of sufficientm information dissemination about available services for ageingmigrants is another aspect which seems
to have a severe impact on their health and social care
seeking behavior. Pressurized by the rapid population
growth of ageing migrants and in acknowledging an
increasing acceptance of (im)migration as a social fact
and supported by anti-discrimination and patient rights
regulations, welfare and health care organization committed
themselves to a greater extent to an interculturally
sensitive work. The following aspects are seen
as central for this endeavor (also see Essay Improving
Access of Migrants to Health Care):
• Enabling communication between migrants and service deliverer
• Dissemination of information in native languages for ethnic groups
• Changes in structure and processes of services to support an interculturally adequate outcome.
Putting intercultural aspects on the agenda fills a long
documented gap in health and social care settings.
However, evidence from health research is showing that
the socio-economic status is the most important determinant
in patterns and causes of disparities in health and health seeking behavior. In the long run, prevention of inequalities in the care of ageing migrants must be sought in policies supporting education and acculturation of migrants. Participation in economic and social
life constitutes the main route for supporting the integration of migrants.