TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic Predictors of the Employment of Migrant Care Workers by Italian Families Assisting Older Alzheimer's Disease Patients
T2 - Evidence from the Up-Tech Study
AU - Barbabella, Francesco
AU - Chiatti, Carlos
AU - Rimland, Joseph M
AU - Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella
AU - Lamura, Giovanni
AU - Lattanzio, Fabrizia
AU - Baldassarri, Diletta
AU - Bitti, Luigina
AU - Carosi, Aurora
AU - Sabbatini, Maila
AU - Paolasini, Elisabetta
AU - Fiori, Tania
AU - Fronzi, Cinzia
AU - Giacchetta, Simona
AU - Giacomini, Valeria
AU - Giovagnoli, Laura
AU - Lattanzi, Giuli
AU - Manca, Anna Maria
AU - Pigini, Valeria
AU - Pignotti, Marina
AU - Proietti, Maria Chiara
AU - Quarticelli, Antonia
AU - Rovedi, Martina
AU - Tasso, Letizia
AU - Valeri, Valentina
AU - Antonioli, Andrea
AU - Barabucci, Mariella
AU - Bassani, Mara
AU - Bollettini, Paola
AU - Bruttapasta, M. Cristina
AU - Buccolini, Carla
AU - Carangella, Rosa
AU - Carboni, Franca
AU - Ceccolini, Daniela
AU - D'Incecco, Patrizia
AU - Di Felice, Mariangela
AU - Dini, Lara
AU - Gioia, Giordano
AU - Di Prima, Giuseppe
AU - Giusepponi, Giancarlo
AU - Lanciotti, Cesarina
AU - Loffreda, Alessia
AU - Luciani, Oriana
AU - Mariani, Laura
AU - Mastrorilli, Francesco
AU - Moroni, Roberto
AU - Piatkowska, Izabela
AU - Rucoli, Roberta
AU - Scoccia, Giampaola
AU - Teodori, Nives
AU - Up-Tech Research Group
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Care allowance
KW - Family caregiver
KW - Migrant care worker
KW - Socioeconomic factors
KW - Up-Tech
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84965161025&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbv045
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbv045
M3 - Article
C2 - 26297707
AN - SCOPUS:84965161025
SN - 1079-5014
VL - 71
SP - 514
EP - 525
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
IS - 3
ER -