title: Older persons’ and their families’ experience with live-in foreign home care workers. A grounded theory study
abstract: Background: Live-in arrangements with migrant care workers have considerably increased over the last years since they allow older frail persons to age-in-place despite functional limitations. However, little is known about the ramifications live-in care arrangements for families. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate families’ experience with live-in migrant care workers and indicators of quality from their perspective. Method: Constructivist grounded theory study with 22 families who were recruited via care agencies in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and participated in 29 individual or dyadic interviews. Results: Live-in care by migrant care workers has potentially positive ramifications for older persons and their families, but only so if families, first, reach a consensus about the need for the employment of migrant care workers; second, experience them as competent; and third, mutually forge relationships and negotiate daily life. A successful care arrangement occurs when there is a relational fit among those involved, which leaves families feeling cared for, safe and relieved. They experience a renewed stability in their family system, enriching relationships, and assuredness about the quality present in the care situation. Conclusions: A successful care arrangement is the result of relationships that have been actively created and a negotiated shared existence in a family-like network. It has a positive effect on the well-being of those receiving care and their family members. The family-like network needs competent support.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Pflege, Departement Gesundheit, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.|2 Zentrum Klinische Pflegewissenschaft, Universitätsspital Zürich.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petry
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Pflege, Departement Gesundheit, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.|2 Zentrum Klinische Pflegewissenschaft, Universitätsspital Zürich.
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naef
authors.affiliation: 3 Zentrum für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Departement Gesundheit, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rüesch
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Pflege, Departement Gesundheit, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahrer-Imhof
authors.affiliation: 1 Institut für Pflege, Departement Gesundheit, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dreizler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017008:Negotiating / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D064700:Nurses, International / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: 24-Stunden-Betreuung; Care MigrantInnen; Familien; Gebrechlichkeit; families; frailty; häusliche Pflege; live-in care; migrant care workers; older persons; ältere Menschen