RESUMEN

In Taiwan an increasing number of families are employing live-in carers from abroad to cope with care responsibilities, including the Indigenous Tayal. The aim of this research was to understand the transition from Indigenous family carer to employer with older family members who have extensive care needs. Six Indigenous employers were interviewed, and a narrative hermeneutic analysis was performed. The Tayal caregivers' cases revealed that their transition to employing live-in carers was complex and filled with ethical dilemmas due to their vulnerable positions. They tried to ensure person-centered care for their family members, but by doing this they risked reproducing vulnerability when transferring their own vulnerability to the live-in carer. The results indicate the interwoven nature of care dependency when it is defined by multiple vulnerabilities, Indigeneity and migration, and the multifaceted components of cultural safety.

RESUMEN

The Taiwan Government follows the policy of active aging to prevent frailty. However, the current services lack cultural safety toward the Indigenous peoples and would benefit from a broader perspective on what active aging may entail. In this research, we study local perceptions of active aging among older Indigenous Tayal taking part in a local day club. The study identifies two formal activities that foster active aging: (a) information meetings about health and illness and (b) physical activities. In addition, two informal activities highlighted by the participants themselves were identified as necessary for promoting healthy and active aging: Cisan and Malahang. While Cisan means "social care," Malahang means "interrelational care practices." In conclusion, we argue for the relevance of listening to Indigenous older adults' voices to develop long-term care services adapted to their cultural values, linguistic competence, and cosmology.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

For the past three decades, to meet the increasing need for long-term care, the Taiwanese government's primary approach has been to import migrant care workers. In this article, we analyse qualitative interview data produced in an Indigenous community. Drawing on Kittay's feminist dependency theory, we explore the interrelationships and collaborative efforts between live-in carers and their employers. Three types of relationships were identified: 'unsupportive relationships', where the live-in carer was treated as a servant; 'supportive relationships', where the live-in carer was treated as a care worker; and 'semi-supportive relationships', where the live-in carer was treated as a carer-servant. In conclusion, the article sheds light on how the live-in carer arrangement could be practised in ways that allow live-in carers and thereby their care recipients to thrive.