FOREIGN-BORN AND MIGRANT DIRECT CARE WORKERS: A SOLUTION TO THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR ELDERCARE

摘要

This presentation critically reviews issues related to the increasing reliance on foreign born/migrant workers to address the eldercare workforce crisis in high and middle income countries. It begins with a brief discussion of the factors underlying the growing demand for and lack of direct care workers in most of the developed world, followed by a description of the percent and countries of origin of foreign-born workers employed in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and Asia. The benefits of and challenges to this growing reliance on a foreign-born workforce for elderly consumers, their families, workers and the host and origin countries are identified. This session concludes with examples of how organizations such as the WHO, the ILO and the OECD are attempting to address the challenges to this global transfer of human capital through the development of standardized recruitment/retention practices, ethical guidelines, training programs and employer
registries.