Immigrant Elder Women and Their Long-term Care Planning

The older adult population continues to grow in numbers and in diversity. In preparing for this increasingly larger and more diverse older adult population, it is important to understand what their long-term care needs, wants and expectation are. This research focuses on immigrant elder women and their long-term care plans. This is a descriptive study which utilized qualitative and quantitative research methods by interviewing 13 immigrant elder women. They were recruited primarily through the International Women's Club in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. This research has four major findings regarding immigrant elder women's long-term care plans. These immigrant elder women plan to remain living in the United States instead of returning to their county of nativity during older adulthood. These immigrant elder women plan to remain living in their own home for as long as possible, financially and medically. Immigrant elders do not wish to be dependent on their families to meet their long-term care needs. When the time arises that they may need paid care, these immigrant elder women are more concerned with having competent caregivers than with cultural issues. These findings parallel trends regarding long-term care plans and concerns of the general older adult population. This may be due to a combination of factors, such as: country of nativity, socio-economic status, availability of children as social supports, a multicultural identity, and level of acculturation and cultural allegiance. Recent policy developments support increasing home and community based long-term care services. These changes in policies and programs should continue to be expanded to better meet the needs current and future older adults, including immigrant elder women