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The burden of long-term care: how Italian family care-givers become employers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2010

FRANCESCA DEGIULI
FRANCESCA DEGIULI*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, CUNY College of Staten Island, New York, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: Francesca Degiuli, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, City University of New York, Building 4S, Room 223, College of Staten Island, 2800Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, Santa Barbara, NY10314, USA E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In recent years in Italy, population ageing, rising female labour-market participation, and the restructuring of the welfare state have combined to create increased demand for long-term care services for frail and dependent older people. The rising demand has increasingly been met by immigrant women of different nationalities, and to a lesser extent immigrant men, who are hired to provide individualised care in people's own homes and other private settings. While there have been many studies of this growing phenomenon, very little attention has been paid to the reasons that bring family care-givers to choose this care-support option. To begin to fill the gap, this paper reports the finding of a qualitative study of 26 family members who were caring for a disabled elder. Semi-structured interviews lasting between 60 and 100 minutes and that covered various aspects of long-term care in family households were conducted. The participants' responses indicate that they did not choose immigrant home eldercare assistants solely for economic reasons but also to be consistent with cultural, moral and traditional understandings of family responsibilities and care. They also provide valuable findings and insights into Italian attitudes towards the welfare state and the care-labour market. While the wealthiest respondent declared a clear predilection for the free-market and a desire to bypass the state, the majority of the respondents advocated a stronger role of the welfare state in helping people cope with the increased burden of long-term care.

Keywords

elder carewelfare statecare workimmigrationItaly
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 30 , Issue 5 , July 2010 , pp. 755 - 777
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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