The perspectives of older Greek-Australians toward changes in the nature of family support: implications for family care policies.
Internationally, public policies encourage "aging in place," and the majority of older Australians requiring care in the community receive informal care, supplemented by publicly subsidized formal services. The effect of contemporary social changes on informal care in aging migrant communities is poorly understood. This articles explores the perceptions of older Greek-Australians toward changes in the nature of family support. Bicultural and bilingual researchers carried out in-depth interviews (n = 27) and five focus groups (n = 63 total participants) with older Greek-Australians in modern Greek. While "cultures of care" remain among Greek-Australian families, the means for a family to assist have shifted, and these compromises are met with considerable powerlessness among older Greek-Australians. Implications for policy include the need to better involve older migrants and their families in decisions about their care needs, potentially involving consumer-directed care models. Service providers may also need to adopt the use of new technologies to communicate with increasingly time-pressured family members.
a Senior Research Fellows, Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity, Faculty of Health Sciences, Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia.
Ruth
R
Walker
Lareen
L
Newman
Michael
M
Tsianikas
Georgia
G
Panagiotopoulos
Catherine
C
Hurley
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006115:Greece / Q000208:ethnology; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005791:Patient Care / Q000523:psychology