Years of the research: 2010 - 2011
Country: Hungary
Language: Hungarian
Keywords:
Abstract:
The negative demographic processes are changing the system of formal and informal eldercare services. At present even the combined resources of the state and the non-profit institutional system and the market sector are unable to provide an adequate solution for eldercare. One of the ways of filling the gap is to involve foreign manpower. The aim of the research is to analyse the following: the nature of the services provided by migrants in eldercare; a comparison of these with the existing services in the state, non-profit and market sectors, and in the civil and informal spheres; manpower market segments of invisible migration appearing in eldercare; whether the use of foreign manpower can be regarded as a strategy for a temporary or long-term solution in the eldercare structure of the host society; the interpersonal relations in the sending and the host country of foreign nationals participating in eldercare; an analysis of the care from the needs side. The research applies analysis of macro data (secondary analysis, statistical analysis) and qualitative methods (observation, depth interviews, case studies). Expected results: it will make a segment of migration and the black economy transparent, reveal the impact of migration for eldercare on the formal eldercare system (connections between migration and social policy), the integration problems and opportunities of migrants.
Researchers:
Type of research: national
Target group: Care givers from Romania and Ukraine, care receivers and employers in Hungary
Sample:
N=85
Aims/Objectives/Background:
The aim of the research is to analyse the nature of the services provided by migrants in eldercare; a comparison of these with the existing services in the state, non-profit and market sectors, and in the civil and informal spheres; manpower market segments of invisible migration appearing in eldercare; whether the use of foreign manpower can be regarded as a strategy for a temporary or long-term solution in the eldercare structure of the host society; the interpersonal relations in the sending and the host country of foreign nationals participating in eldercare; an analysis of the care from the needs side.
Findings/outcome/conclusion/research questions:
The Hungarian system of services for the elderly is unable to cope with the demand for longer-term care and nursing. Families bear extremely heavy burdens that are eased by the invisible migrants who work for lower pay than Hungarians. Their activity is on the borderline of formal and informal care, at the crossroads of family, trained nursing and domestic servant work and is dominated by family-type work. The legalisation of unregistered employment and the qualifications of the worker in themselves have little influence on the type of work; subjective factors and the quality of the relations among the actors play a bigger role. The migrants play an indispensable role in filling the gaps in the system of social services, but the social policy decision-makers are not aware of this. If Hungary’s receiving role changes, migration to Hungary for eldercare declines and at the same time Hungary’s sending role grows, this will also affect eldercare. The higher retirement age for women means that they leave the labour market later and are unable to perform the tasks they did earlier. If there is no change in the institutional system of eldercare it will suddenly reveal the previously latent challenges. A knowledge of the problems revealed by the research is indispensable for the solution of these challenges, but they cannot be solved by administrative means, the legalisation of employment is not sufficient to protect employees working in households or to regulate work done within informal frames.
Publication/reports: What is a migrant care worker? Being at the crossroads of servant, family member and nurse status. In: Széman Zsuzsa (ed.): Challenges of the Ageing Societies in the Visegrad Countries. Magyar Máltai Szeretszolgálat, Budapest, 2012. 83–90. http://www.maltai.hu/data/Challenges_of_Aging_Societies.pdf
Online publication/reports/links:
http://www.maltai.hu/data/Challenges_of_Aging_Societies.pdf
Financed by: OTKA Hungary
Contact person: Tünde Turai, tturai@yahoo.com
Copyright
“The Central and Eastern European Active Ageing Network database is protected by copyright law, under international agreements and the EC Database Directive 96/9/EC. The owner of the database is the Institute of Mental Health of Semmelweis University and the University of Debrecen Faculty of Health. Reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is not permitted without the prior written authorization of the [owner].”