Transcultural ageing - Transculturality in elderly care and support options for older people

This bachelor thesis deals with the topic of transcultural ageing, primarily how transculturality affects older people in their ageing process and how social services can support them. Transcultural ageing is becoming more and more important in today's world due to globalisation but also to the refugee movements that continue to develop over the years. Transcultural ageing can be defined as a person leaving the country they were born and raised in and growing old in another country. During childhood and adolescence, a person is shaped by various life events; these events recur in the course of life, especially in old age, and can influence the older person. The aim of this thesis is to explain the topic of transcultural ageing and to show what social services can provide for the older people affected. In order to analyse the social phenomenon of transcultural ageing in more detail, it was decided to conduct qualitative research. For this purpose, qualitative interviews in the form of expert interviews were conducted for data collection. The expert interview aims to get the opinion of an expert on the thesis topic and also an insight into the work with transcultural ageing. In particular, they were asked about their definition of transcultural ageing, the working methods, the impact of transculturality on older people and finally, how transcultural ageing can be further promoted in practice. A typological analysis was carried out to analyse the data gathered. The result of the thesis shows that social services play an essential role in supporting people in their ageing process. The transcultural work can have different effects on the older people, which can primarily be seen as positive and strengthening for the older people. However, it is essential that in transcultural work, the person is seen in the context of individual cultural factors that influence them. The transcultural work should not be done with aggression or misunderstanding but with empathy, sensitivity and understanding for the person and their situation