Social and Health Care in Germany: The Role of Migration Background in Old Age

The premigration experience, personal characteristics, host country’s migration policies, and home country’s EU membership status are important elements of migrants’ ageing process. Older adults with an immigrant background tend to have lower levels of health status compared to non-migrant peers and they also tend to underuse public care and prefer informal support from their children (Bolzman et al. 2004; Hansen 2014; de Valk & Schans 2008). Studies also show that even though older migrants is not a homogeneous group, care policies and formal arrangements can fail to address their particular needs (Ciobanu, Fokkema & Nedelcu, 2017; Torres 2006).

Policymakers are interested in improving health and well-being by creating a more inclusive society (Munford et al. 2017). The HORIZON 2020 research agenda highlights the need for more actively engaged local actors in the social policy-making process. According to Myck et al (2015) “access to public facilities and services, social relations and infrastructure for their development should deserve more space in the academic debate on ageing and in public policy discussions”. Putnam (2000) states that social capital improves general health and well-being. In this study, I try to understand older adults’ daily practices and interactions which are related to social and health care. By doing so, local policy instruments can be developed from bottom-to-top. I use the data from the 5th wave of Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The main research question is: How is migration background associated with social and health care in old age in Germany? There are 5617 respondents in the sample who are 50+ years old.