Preserving identity through caregiving: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of minority informal caregivers' experiences caring for older adults with neurological conditions.
Asha Elmi, Yasmin Palmer, Fergus Gracey et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis examined how ethnic minority informal caregivers in Europe understand and navigate caring for older adults with neurological conditions. It included 18 qualitative studies involving 258 caregivers in the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. The synthesis identified two central narratives: caregiving can preserve cultural identity, values, and care recipients’ dignity, while caregivers also negotiate inherited expectations against contemporary demands. Migration-related experiences and resilience shaped how caregivers reinterpreted cultural beliefs and adapted their roles.
Key findings
- The review synthesised 18 qualitative studies involving 258 caregivers across four European countries.
- Caregiving was described as a way to uphold cultural values, community identity, and care recipients’ dignity and personhood.
- Caregivers balanced traditional cultural expectations with modern life demands, reinterpreting beliefs and drawing on resilience shaped by migration.
Why it matters
The findings frame caregiving as both a practical role and a way of sustaining identity and relationships. Recognising this complexity may help healthcare services and policy avoid treating ethnic minority caregivers as a uniform group and better understand how cultural values, migration experiences, and changing social demands shape care.
What to keep in mind
The synthesis draws on qualitative studies from four European countries, so its findings may not represent caregivers in other settings or all ethnic minority communities.