1. Elderly migrants in Denmark
Status, research results and experiences
By Grete Madsen at the ENIEC Meeting 1 March 2007

2. How many? In Denmark 50 – 64 years 30.700 65+ 11.700
In the City of Copenhagen
50 – 64 years (= 22% of in DK)
(= 21% of in DK)
4% of 65+ citizens in Cph. are migrants. In 2011 the figure is expected to be 7%

3. How many 65+ in 2016?
In Copenhagen In In

4. Who are they? The largest nationality groups are from:
Ex-jugoslavia (double as many as the two other groups)
Pakistan
Turkey
Also Morocco, Iraque, Iran, China, the Philipines (in order after how many there are)

5. Their income situation
65+ with an annual income below €14,000:
Turkey 83%
Ex-Yugoslavia 75%
Pakistan 79%
Danish background 17%

6. Receiving nursing home services
In Copenhagen:
Citizens with foreign
ethnic background approx. 1,5%
(around 40 persons)
Danish background approx. 6%

7. Apartments adjusted for the elderly
In Copenhagen
Citizens with foreign
ethnic background 6% (approx 150)
Danish background 6%

8. Home care services In Copenhagen Citizens with foreign
ethnic background 10%
Danish background 28%

9. Day center activities In Copenhagen Citizens with foreign
ethnic background >1%
Danish background 4%

10. 20 dialogue-meetings with 100 migrants in Copenhagen - results
Made in 2004.
Defined barriers:
Language difficulties
Bad economy
Lack of knowledge of the service offers in Cph.
Lack of daily network
They don’t know how to address the system/lack of understanding and knowledge of the system

11. Recommendations
Educate staff to respect and understand the differences in culture, religion and language
More interpreters available
More information meetings and pamflets
Preventive home visits earlier than 75 years (which is the normal standard for all citizens in Copenhagen)
Extra focus on getting the migrants to use and participate in the existing day activities offered
Especially network activities/day offers and information on public services and interpreters have been in focus.

12. Plans – City of Cph.
The next years the city will focus and spend ressources on:
education of staff (intercultural communication)
preventive home visits to all migrants at an age of 60
Health Center in all local areas with specific offers to migrants
psycho-social health promoting activities in urban housing areas
examine the migrants needs and wishes in relation to nursing home care
(Malik, Mia and Hanne can complement)

13. The announced speaker, Charlotte Egeblad’s research project
With Charlotte’s consent………….
A study of qualitative interviews with elderly Turkish, Iranean and Palaestinian men and women over 50
All 1st generation migrants (born and raised in another part of the world)

14. Characteristics?
Yes – and no. They are very different – as regards to:
Migration background
How long they have stayed in DK
Social and cultural background from their native country
Living conditions in DK
Gender + age
Personal life story

15. Results – common characteristics
It is a painful experience growing old in a foreign country
The world around them are changing rapidly
They have no shared/common images of a life as elderly to lean on
They are pioneers, as they have to invent new meanings of life in the process of growing old
They feel isolated and lonely
They are slowly loosing their authority and social role within the family
They are afraid of the future

16. Loneliness
They do not understand the persons, with whom they interact – and vice versa
They miss terribly to have meaningful & close relations in their daily life, people to share history and memories with
Lack of being together in a meaningful context
See themselves as strangers and different than the majority
Difficulties with the Danish language

17. Objectives and challenges
The elderly shall not look for Danish ways of being old, they must find their own ways to grow old
The elderly migrants should increasingly have the feeling of being Danish citizens. This objective challenges the areas: knowledge, education and the ability to create networks outside of the family structure.