Caring for aging parents in Canadian nursing homes : an ethnographic study on immigrant families’ experiences

Abstract

This thesis explored how Canadian-Chinese family members adapted and adjusted when caring for their parents in Canadian nursing homes. I drew the data from in-depth, semi-structured, open ended interviews with three participants. Building on symbolic interactionism theory, the analysis explored how the participants lived through the transition when placing their parent(s) into nursing homes. The findings supported the idea that elderly Chinese immigrants’ children maintained crucial roles during the transition. Family members also faced challenges and culture barriers in Canadian’s health care system when trying to fulfill their filial piety to their parents.