Barriers versus promotion: Culturally sensitive healthcare for elderly Turkish migrants in Austria and Germany

Abstract

What is the perception of Turkish migrants in elderly care? The increasing number of elder migrants within the German and Austrian population is causing the challenge of including them in an adequate (culturally sensitive) way into the German/Austrian health care system. Here I introduce the perception of elder Turkish migrants within the predominant paradigm of intercultural opening of health care in Germany as well as within the concept of diversity management of health care in Vienna (Austria). The qualitative investigation follows a field research in different German and Austrian cities within the last four years and an analysis based on the Grounded Theory Methodology. The meaning of intercultural opening on the one hand, and diversity management on the other hand with respect to elderly care will be evaluated. Whereas the intercultural opening directly demands a reduction of barriers to access institutional elderly care the concept of diversity is hardly successful in the inclusion of migrants into elderly care assistance – concerning both, migrants as care-givers and migrants as care-receivers. Despite the similarities between the health care systems of Germany and Austria there are decisive differences in the perception and inclusion of migrants in elderly care that is largely based on an 'individual care' concept of the responsible institutions. Finally, this investigation demonstrates how elderly care in Germany and Austria prepares to encounter the demand of 'individual care' in a diverse society.