Abstract:

Aging is a challenge at all stages of the life cycle. To be old in a culture different from that of origin presents additional challenges to immigrants. They will have experienced discrimination during their life cycle. If they are not a large group, it is unlikely that their host society has planned for delivery of services in their language. Consequently, even in a society such as England, which provides extensive welfare & health services, migrant elderly not of English-language origin may have more difficulty articulating their needs & receiving satisfactory service. Here a Polish immigrant elderly sample is compared with an indigenous English sample (N not provided) in terms of their satisfaction with particular aspects of health care delivery by MDs, nurses, social workers, home help, & clergy, & their willingness to seek assistance. Subjects' self-concepts are controlled for as comparisons between the two groups on dimensions of satisfaction with health care. The problems experienced by the two groups are discussed, as are perceived advantages & disadvantages.