The role of Migrant Health and Social Care Workers in Ageing Societies

Contents:

  • The UK Project at COMPAS
  • The International Project
  • The Team
  • The International Advisory Board
  • The Funders
  • Outputs
  • Events
  • Contacts

The reports

UK report and executive summary.

Irish report and executive summary.

Canadian report and executive summary.

US report.

The International Project

Background

The migration of care workers (registered nurses and care assistants/direct care workers) from developing countries to western developed nations has long been evident. Many receiving countries are now reliant on migrant workers to provide a significant part of their care infrastructure. This is increasingly the case in the provision of older adult care, where the shortage of host nation workers appears to be most apparent. However, research in this area is scarce and little is known about the contribution and outcomes of migrant care workers in the sector and the implications of employing foreign carers for the delivery of care to older people.


The role of migrant care workers in ageing societies is an international collaborative research project, involving Ireland, the UK, Canada and the US. These countries are of particular interest given that the migration of native care workers between the four sites has been considerable in the past, and each nation is now thought to be a significant participant in the global migration of care workers. The four countries also represent an interesting blend of established and recent immigration. Research partners include the Institute for the Study of International Migration (Georgetown University), the Community Health Research Unit (University of Ottawa), the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (National University of Ireland Galway), and the Centre on Migration, Policy & Society (University of Oxford), which is the international project coordinator.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the research is to explore the implications of the recruitment of migrant workers for the delivery of health and social care to older people, for the living and working conditions of the migrant carers, and for immigration and integration policies. The research involves the following set of objectives:
• Analyse factors determining the current and likely future demand for migrant workers in the care of older people
• Explore current and future role of migrant care workers in the care of older people and their impact on the structure of care and the capacity of older people for independent living
• Investigate the impact of migrant care workers on older people and their families and the quality of care
• Examine the migration and work experience of care workers: the means and motivation for migration, role of recruitment agencies, choice of employment and working life

Methodology

A mixed methodology across the four countries included quantitative and qualitative techniques and typically included the following.
• Mapping and analysis of existing data: data available from censuses, national household surveys and other administrative sources (e.g. nursing registers and work permit schemes) were reviewed. Estimates and projections of the workforce in older adult care were carried out.

• Migrant Care Worker Interviews: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with migrant care workers to gather their experiences, opinions and future intentions concerning the older adult care sector. The participants were recruited from different sources and different sites across each of the four countries.

• Employers’ Postal and On-line Survey: A postal survey and on-line survey was distributed to older adult long-stay care institutions (including public and private facilities) and home care organisations. The purpose of the survey was to gather information on reasons for hiring, and experiences with, migrant care workers.

• Employers’ Telephone Interviews: In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of employers to illicit more in-depth information regarding experiences with migrant care workers. The participants were selected from the survey respondents and were representative of the full range of employer organisations.

• Older Adult Focus Group Discussions: Focus groups were organised with older adults to gather their opinions and experiences on migrant care workers caring for older people. Participants included prospective users of care (community dwelling older adults) and those who are currently in receipt of care (nursing home residents and day care users).

The Team

Co Directors of the project:
Sarah Spencer (COMPAS, Oxford University, UK) and Susan Martin (ISIM, Georgetown University, US).


United Kingdom
Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford, UK.

Sarah Spencer, Deputy Director.
Alessio Cangiano, Research Officer.
Isabel Shutes, Research Officer.
Vanessa Hughes, Administrative Officer. 

 
Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford, UK.
George Leeson, Deputy Director. Advisor to the project and co author or UK report.

Further Contributors to UK Project
Bridget Anderson, COMPAS, University of Oxford; advisor to the project.
Lourdes Gordolan, Source Country Report: Philippines, Community Researcher, Kalayaan, London.
Jo Moriarty, Background Paper, King’s College, London.
Kenneth Howse, Background Paper, The Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford.

United States of America
Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), Georgetown University, US.

Susan Martin, Executive Director.
Lindsay Lowell, Director of Policy Studies.
Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, Research Director.
Patricia Weiss Fagen, Background research on Jamaica, Senior Associate, ISIM, Georgetown University.

Ireland
Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG), National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.

Eamon O'Shea, Professor.
Kieran Walsh, Research Officer.

Canada
Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, Professor and CIHR/Health Canada Research Chair in Health Human Resource Policy.

Community Health Research Unit, Ottawa University, Canada.

Ivy Bourgeault, Associate Professor.

The International Advisory Board

Nick Johnson, CEO, Social Care Association, UK
Gail Adams, Head of Nursing, UNISON, UK
Jo Moriarty, Research Fellow, Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King’s College London, UK
Colin Angel, Head of Policy and Communication, UK Home Care Association
Annie Stevenson, Head of Older People’s Services, Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), UK
Steve Lamb, Regional Operations Director, UK Border Agency
Brendan Sinnott, Head of Unit, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission
Frank Laczko, Chief of the Research and Publications Division, International Organisation for Migration
Judith A. Salerno, Deputy Director, National Institute of Ageing, US
Michael Clemens, Research Fellow, Center for Global Development, US
John Haaga, Social Research post, DIV Behavioral & Social Research, National institute on Aging
Siobhan O’Donoghue, Director, Migrant Rights Centre, Ireland
Margaret Denton, Professor, Department of Sociology, McMaster University, Canada
John McHale, Associate Professor of Economics, Queens University, Canada

The Funders

The project team acknowledges with thanks the contributions from the following:

The Atlantic Philanthropies (UK, Ireland and international collaboration)
The Nuffield Foundation (UK project and international collaboration)
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (US, for the research on source countries)
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (US, for the research on temporary worker programs)
German Marshall Fund (US, for transatlantic preparatory meeting)
Rockefeller Foundation (US, for the use of the Bellagio conference centre)
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada for Research Assistants, data collection and analysis of Canada)
Canada Research Chair in Comparative Health Labour Policy (Canada for the Canadian project and travel expenses)
Community Health Research Unit at the University of Ottawa (Canada for consultants and Research Assistant)

Outputs

The reports

All four national reports on the role of migrant care workers in ageing societies have now been published.

  • To download the UK report and executive summary, click here.

The Irish Report in the Media:

Support needed for migrants working with elderly, report finds in the Irish Examiner.  

Many older people care for by migrant workers, study finds in Irish Times.

Ireland's elderly cared for by migrant workers in Irish Independent.

The Canadian report in the media:

Canada leaning heavily on foreign caregivers in the Ottawa Citizen.

Foreign caregivers at risk of exploitation in The Vancouver Sun.

 

  • The US report was published in December 2009. Click here to download the report. 

Academic articles

The project team is anticipating subsequent academic articles and a Special Issue of the Journal of Population Ageing.

Conferences

The team gave four presentations at the annual conference of the British Society of Gerontology in Bristol this year.

  • To view Alessio Cangiano's presentation "Demand and Supply of the Migrant Care Workforce in Ageing Societies" click here.
  • To view Kieran Walsh's presentation "Impact on Quality of Older Adult Care" please click here.
  • To view Ivy Bourgeault's presentation "Caring and Cultural Relationships: Experiences of Migrant Carers, Employers and older Adults" click here.
  • To view Susan Martin and Lindsay Lowell's presentation "Eldercare in the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada: cross-national themes" click here.

Kieran Walsh and Ivy Bourgeault gave a presentation each at the 9th Conference of the European Sociological Association.

Events

23 February 2010 - Seminar at the European Policy Centre, Brussels, on 'Ageing Socities: the role of migrant care workers'

9 February 2010 - Seminar at the International Organisation on Migration, Geneva, on 'The Role of Migrant Care Workers in Ageing Societies: Eldercare in the UK, Ireland, the USA and Canada'. Please click here to view the presentation.

14th November 2008 – Policy Breakfast on ‘The Role of Migrant Health and Social Care Workers in Ageing Societies’ at the Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, US.

13th November 2008 – Fourth international Project Team Meeting, Washington, US.

14th October 2008 – Presentation and Workshop of Emerging Findings of UK Project to employers, professional bodies, Local Government and Academics hosted by the Nuffield Foundation, London, UK.

22nd September 2008 – Presentation and workshop on emerging findings of project in Meyrick Hotel, Galway, Ireland.

28th-30th May 2008 – Second International Advisory Board and Project Team Meeting  on the Role of Migrant Care Workers, Bellagio, Italy.

26th – 28th May 2008 – Third International Project Team Meeting on the Role of Migrant Care Workers, Bellagio, Italy.

25th Septmeber 2007 – First Meeting of the International Advisory Board and Second Meeting of the International Project Team on the Role of Migrant Care Workers, COMPAS, Oxford, UK.

30th January 2007 – Seminar in HM Treasury, London UK.

November 2006 – First International Project Team Meeting, London, UK.

6th and 7th March 2005 – ISIM (Institute for the Study of International Migration), Georgetown Unviersity and COMAS: The International Mobility of Healthcare workers: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses. This seminar was funded by the German Marshall Fund.

Contacts

For general enquiries and information on the UK project please contact:

Vanessa Hughes
Email: Vanessa.hughes@compas.ox.ac.uk
Tel.: +44 (0) 1865 284 986
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 274 718

For the US project please email Lindsay Lowell B. lowellbl@georgetown.edu.
For the Irish project please email Kieran Walsh kieran.walsh@nuigalway.ie.
For the Canadian project please email Ivy Bourgeault Ivy.Bourgeault@uottawa.ca.