No place like home? Potential pathways to loneliness in older adults under the care of a live-in foreign home care worker

Liat Ayalon, Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, Yuval Palgi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The arrangement in which frail older adults from the developed world are cared for in their homes by individuals from the developing world has become increasingly prevalent worldwide. In Israel, this arrangement is termed foreign home care. In this article, the authors first describe the global phenomenon of foreign home care of frail older adults as well as the more local characteristics of this arrangement in Israel. The authors then describe the concept of loneliness. Based on empirical and theoretical knowledge in the field of loneliness, the authors argue that older adults under live-in foreign home care may be particularly prone to feelings of loneliness for several reasons: some that are general to older adults with cognitive or physical disability and others that are specific to this particular caregiving arrangement. The authors conclude by providing ideas for future practice and research on this highly vulnerable group that, to date, has received only minimal research attention.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)189-200
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied
Volume146
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2012

Keywords

  • domestic help
  • globalization
  • home care
  • loneliness
  • migrant workers
  • social network
  • social support

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous)
  • Education
  • General Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'No place like home? Potential pathways to loneliness in older adults under the care of a live-in foreign home care worker'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this