Social Relations, Long-Term Care, and Well-Being of Older Migrants in Luxembourg

Abstract

Abstract. This paper is based on biographical and qualitative egocentric network analyses and examines the social relations of older Italian and Portuguese migrants in need of long-term care (LTC) in Luxembourg. It addresses three components of their everyday social relationships, including the relationships with emotionally close individuals in their egocentric networks, with careworkers, and with other care-recipients in institutional settings. The findings support two main theses: First, careworkers are central figures in providing emotional support to older migrants; second, the relations with other care-recipients can be difficult to establish in contexts of migration, which leads to the necessity of arranging new forms of institutional settings in order to decrease social isolation, being a pressing aspect to public health policies.