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. 2022 May 22;19(10):6293.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106293.

Elderly Caregiving Quality Improvement: A Pilot Study of the Burdens of Vietnamese Caregivers in Taiwan

Chang-Yu Wu  1 , Yu-Ying Li  2 , Maurice J Lyver  1
Affiliations

Elderly Caregiving Quality Improvement: A Pilot Study of the Burdens of Vietnamese Caregivers in Taiwan

Chang-Yu Wu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Taiwan is expected to reach super-aged status by 2026, leading to an increased demand for elderly caregiving services. Low local unemployment and a dwindling working-age population mean the island's care system relies heavily on female foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from Southeast Asian neighbors such as Vietnam to satisfy labor shortages. Although suggested by anecdotal evidence, limited research has been conducted on the link between the shortfall in FDW qualifications, training, preparedness, and expertise and their employment stressors. Therefore, this study aims to assist FDWs by evaluating their stressors and helping them better understand health care delivery by (1) administering the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (MCSI) revised 2003 questionnaire, (2) performing semi-structured in-depth one-on-one interviews, (3) classifying interview results according to thematic analysis, and (4) using these themes to devise and deliver a 12-week multilingual health education teach-back program. Our results indicate that Vietnamese FDWs face specific challenges, including language barriers, homesickness, intensive physical and psychological work demands, stress adaptation, and occupational exposures. Despite yielding no significant improvements in caregiving strain, our intervention, conducted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, pinpoints and classifies areas of grave concern and proposes recommendations that can assist long-term care (LTC) stakeholders in understanding and overcoming their respective challenges, thereby improving the quality of elderly care.

Keywords: foreign domestic worker; long-term care; multilingual health education resources; thematic analysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Vietnamese Version of Modified Caregiver Strain Index Revised 2003 [24].
Figure 1
Figure 1
The percentage of migrant workers in social welfare by region in November 2021 [1]. Data source: adapted from https://english.mol.gov.tw/21004/21107/21113/lpsimplelist (accessed on 30 January 2022).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Foreign domestic workers from 2010 to 2020 [1]. Data source: adapted from https://english.mol.gov.tw/21004/21107/21113/lpsimplelist (accessed on 30 January 2022).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Population Projections for Taiwanese Elderly: 2018–2065 [10]. Data source: (adapted from https://www.ndc.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=2e5dcb04c64512cc (accessed on 30 January 2022). (Source: National Development Council, 2018).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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