Institutional Elderly Care Services and Moroccan and Turkish Migrants in Belgium: A Literature Review

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2016-10, Vol.18 (5), p.1216-1227
• Main Authors: Ahaddour, Chaïma, van den Branden, Stef, Broeckaert, Bert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Adult Day Care Centers - utilization; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Belgium - epidemiology; Communication Barriers; Comparative Law; Culture; Elder care; Emigrants and Immigrants - statistics & numerical data; Females; Geriatrics; Health care; Health care industry; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology; Health Services Accessibility; Health Services for the Aged - utilization; Homes for the Aged - utilization; Humans; Immigrants; International; International & Foreign Law; Islam; Language; Literature reviews; Low level; Males; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Migrants; Migration; Minority & ethnic groups; Morocco - ethnology; Muslims; News; Noncitizens; Older Adults; Older people; Original Paper; Population; Private International Law; Public Health; Quality of care; Religion; Religious Education; Residential care; Reviews; Socioeconomic Factors; Sociology; Studies; Turkey - ethnology; Turkish people
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0247-4

In several European countries, including Belgium, the rapid ageing of the migrant population has emerged only recently on the political agenda. The aim of this literature review is threefold. Firstly, it provides a review of the available studies on the accessibility and use of institutional care services by Moroccan and Turkish migrants in the Flemish part of Belgium including Flanders and Brussels. Secondly, it identifies their specific needs regarding elderly care services. Finally, it provides an overview of the way in which Belgian policy has dealt with the issue of migration and elderly care. Literature published between 1965 and 2014 and relevant to the Belgian context has been included. This search yielded 21 references, of which 8 empirical studies, 5 policy literature, 3 theoretical studies, 3 news articles and 2 popularized reports. Mainstream elderly care remains relatively inaccessible for these migrants due to the language and a series of cultural and religious barriers, a low level of education, financial constraints, a lack of knowledge of health care systems, and the so-called return and care dilemmas. Their religious and cultural needs are currently not met by elderly care services. The inclusive and neutral Belgian policy seems to pay insufficient attention to these issues.