Department of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, Hammond, Indiana, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2024 Mar 1;79(3). doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad086.
Aging populations and an increasing number of immigrants in recent years have led to numerous changes in intergenerational relationships. Although many studies have investigated the impact of providing care to a parent with dementia, little is known about the impact of caregiving activities provided from a distance, such as in the case of immigration, and over a long period of time to a person with dementia. Our understanding of how transnational caregiving for a person with dementia affects relationships is also limited. Using the Intergenerational Solidarity Theory as a theoretical framework, this paper examines the experiences of adult children and immigrant caregivers of a parent with dementia living in Poland.
A qualitative, semistructured interview was conducted with 37 caregivers living in the United States while providing transnational care to a parent with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The data analysis was based on the thematic analysis strategy.
Four themes were identified: (1) filial obligations and solidarity, (2) caregivers' contradictory emotions regarding transnational care, (3) financial and emotional exhaustion, and (4) challenges of nursing home dilemmas.
Transnational caregivers represent a unique group who face distinctive challenges related to competing demands and limited resources. This study contributes to a better understanding of their experiences whereas the findings highlight the importance of addressing the mental and physical well-being of immigrant caregivers of individuals with dementia and have important implications for health care professionals and immigration policies. Implications for future research were also identified.
近年来，人口老龄化和移民人数的增加导致代际关系发生了诸多变化。尽管许多研究都调查了为痴呆症患者提供护理的影响，但对于远距离、例如移民情况下，以及在较长时间内为痴呆症患者提供护理的影响却知之甚少。我们对跨境照顾痴呆症患者如何影响关系的理解也很有限。本文以代际团结理论为理论框架，探讨了居住在波兰的痴呆症患者的成年子女和移民照顾者的经历。
对 37 名居住在美国的照顾者进行了定性、半结构式访谈，他们为患有阿尔茨海默病或其他形式痴呆症的父母提供跨国护理。数据分析基于主题分析策略。
确定了四个主题：（1）子女的义务和团结，（2）照顾者对跨国护理的矛盾情绪，（3）经济和情感枯竭，（4）养老院困境的挑战。
跨国照顾者是一个独特的群体，他们面临着与竞争需求和有限资源相关的独特挑战。本研究有助于更好地理解他们的经历，研究结果强调了关注痴呆症移民照顾者的身心健康的重要性，并对医疗保健专业人员和移民政策具有重要意义。还确定了未来研究的意义。
