Opportunities and challenges of migrant work in the Italian long-term care system

• Introduction: Italy is one of the most aged countries in the world, with a longstanding tradition of family care of the dependent elderly. Inrecent times, however, Italy has been witnessing in-depth social and cultural changes, which have been negatively impacting on informal care provision. In addition, the public long-term care (LTC) system highly relies on cash-for-care schemes for supporting older people, whereas “formal” care services are characterised by weak coverage and intensity. This situation has led to a remarkable increase in theprivate employment of migrant care workers (MCWs), whose number increased by four times in the last two decades.Method: An overview of MCWs phenomenon in Italy is provided through the analysis of empirical data retrieved by available official sources at national level, as well as by results from own surveys conducted in recent years on large samples of MCWs.Results: The following opportunities and challenges concerning MCWs’ employment in the LTC sector were identified: improve MCW’s capacity to deliver quality care; reduce therisk of elder abuse and neglect and of meeting MCWs’ own care needs; increase their social integration in destination countries and reduce “care drain” in sending countries; and how to improve stakeholders’ involvement for a better exchange of good practices and more effective policy measures.Conclusion: In these years, privately employed MCWs have contributed to change the traditional Italian “family care model” into a new “migrant-in-the-family care model”. However, the issue concerning the sustainability of this model within the Italian LTC system in the future is still open.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Internationell migration och etniska relationer (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- International Migration and Ethnic Relations (hsv//eng)

Keyword

migrant care workers

informal care

Italy

Gerontologi

Gerontology

Sociology

Sociologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)