Moral conflicts in familial dementia care involving migrant live-in carers in Germany and Israel: A comparative empirical-ethical exploration and analysis (MoDeCare)

Population ageing leads to a higher prevalence of dementia and thus an increasing need for care for those affected. At the same time, there is a lack of informal and professional carers who could meet the sophisticated and time-consuming requirements of dementia care. In many countries, migrant live-in carers have become a common solution to fill this care void. However, these live-in care arrangements are prone to considerable social, legal, and moral difficulties. While the focus of previous research was mainly on social and legal aspects, an in-depth examination of the moral dimension is still missing. This project focuses on the comparative empirical exploration of moral conflicts in live-in care arrangements in Germany and Israel and their ethical reflection. We employ methods of qualitative research and ethical analysis to study moral conflicts on the micro level of the triad composed of live-in carers, people with dementia, and relatives in both countries, also taking into account the role of structural factors at the meso and macro level. The aim is to develop a more profound understanding of moral conflicts in live-in dementia care in Germany and Israel in order to formulate empirically informed ethical recommendations for care providers and policy makers.

Applicants

Dr. Merle Weßel, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg (PI)

Dr. Milena von Kutzleben, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (Co-PI)

Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (Co-PI)

Prof. Liat Ayalon, Bar Ilan University (PI)

Dr. Michal Herz, geriatric consultant, freelancing researcher (Co-PI)

 

Keywords: Dementia, family care, migrant carer, ethics