Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Socioeconomic Predictors of the Employment of Migrant Care Workers by Italian Families Assisting Older Alzheimer's Disease Patients : Evidence from the Up-Tech Study

Barbabella, Francesco ; Chiatti, Carlos LU ; Rimland, Joseph M ; Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella ; Lamura, Giovanni ; Lattanzio, Fabrizia ; Baldassarri, Diletta ; Bitti, Luigina ; Carosi, Aurora and Sabbatini, Maila , et al. (2016) In Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 71(3). p.514-525
Abstract

Background: The availability of family caregivers of older people is decreasing in Italy as the number of migrant care workers (MCWs) hired by families increases. There is little evidence on the influence of socioeconomic factors in the employment of MCWs. Method: We analyzed baseline data from 438 older people with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), and their family caregivers enrolled in the Up-Tech trial. We used bivariate analysis and multilevel regressions to investigate the association between independent variables - education, social class, and the availability of a care allowance - and three outcomes - employment of a MCW, hours of care provided by the primary family caregiver, and by the family network (primary and other family... (More)

Background: The availability of family caregivers of older people is decreasing in Italy as the number of migrant care workers (MCWs) hired by families increases. There is little evidence on the influence of socioeconomic factors in the employment of MCWs. Method: We analyzed baseline data from 438 older people with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), and their family caregivers enrolled in the Up-Tech trial. We used bivariate analysis and multilevel regressions to investigate the association between independent variables - education, social class, and the availability of a care allowance - and three outcomes - employment of a MCW, hours of care provided by the primary family caregiver, and by the family network (primary and other family caregivers). Results: The availability of a care allowance and the educational level were independently associated with employing MCWs. A significant interaction between education and care allowance was found, suggesting that more educated families are more likely to spend the care allowance to hire a MCW. Discussion: Socioeconomic inequalities negatively influenced access both to private care and to care allowance, leading disadvantaged families to directly provide more assistance to AD patients. Care allowance entitlement needs to be reformed in Italy and in countries with similar long-term care and migration systems.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
author collaboration
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Alzheimer's disease, Care allowance, Family caregiver, Migrant care worker, Socioeconomic factors, Up-Tech
in
Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
volume
71
issue
3
pages
12 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:26297707
  • scopus:84965161025
ISSN
1079-5014
DOI
10.1093/geronb/gbv045
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
e98734e8-3417-470b-9f0e-c8be72455399
date added to LUP
2017-03-16 11:25:27
date last changed
2024-03-31 04:36:30
@article{e98734e8-3417-470b-9f0e-c8be72455399,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: The availability of family caregivers of older people is decreasing in Italy as the number of migrant care workers (MCWs) hired by families increases. There is little evidence on the influence of socioeconomic factors in the employment of MCWs. Method: We analyzed baseline data from 438 older people with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), and their family caregivers enrolled in the Up-Tech trial. We used bivariate analysis and multilevel regressions to investigate the association between independent variables - education, social class, and the availability of a care allowance - and three outcomes - employment of a MCW, hours of care provided by the primary family caregiver, and by the family network (primary and other family caregivers). Results: The availability of a care allowance and the educational level were independently associated with employing MCWs. A significant interaction between education and care allowance was found, suggesting that more educated families are more likely to spend the care allowance to hire a MCW. Discussion: Socioeconomic inequalities negatively influenced access both to private care and to care allowance, leading disadvantaged families to directly provide more assistance to AD patients. Care allowance entitlement needs to be reformed in Italy and in countries with similar long-term care and migration systems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Barbabella, Francesco and Chiatti, Carlos and Rimland, Joseph M and Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella and Lamura, Giovanni and Lattanzio, Fabrizia and Baldassarri, Diletta and Bitti, Luigina and Carosi, Aurora and Sabbatini, Maila and Paolasini, Elisabetta and Fiori, Tania and Fronzi, Cinzia and Giacchetta, Simona and Giacomini, Valeria and Giovagnoli, Laura and Lattanzi, Giuli and Manca, Anna Maria and Pigini, Valeria and Pignotti, Marina and Proietti, Maria Chiara and Quarticelli, Antonia and Rovedi, Martina and Tasso, Letizia and Valeri, Valentina and Antonioli, Andrea and Barabucci, Mariella and Bassani, Mara and Bollettini, Paola and Bruttapasta, M. Cristina and Buccolini, Carla and Carangella, Rosa and Carboni, Franca and Ceccolini, Daniela and D'Incecco, Patrizia and Di Felice, Mariangela and Dini, Lara and Gioia, Giordano and Di Prima, Giuseppe and Giusepponi, Giancarlo and Lanciotti, Cesarina and Loffreda, Alessia and Luciani, Oriana and Mariani, Laura and Mastrorilli, Francesco and Moroni, Roberto and Piatkowska, Izabela and Rucoli, Roberta and Scoccia, Giampaola and Teodori, Nives}},
  issn         = {{1079-5014}},
  keywords     = {{Alzheimer's disease; Care allowance; Family caregiver; Migrant care worker; Socioeconomic factors; Up-Tech}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{514--525}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}},
  title        = {{Socioeconomic Predictors of the Employment of Migrant Care Workers by Italian Families Assisting Older Alzheimer's Disease Patients : Evidence from the Up-Tech Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbv045}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/geronb/gbv045}},
  volume       = {{71}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}