ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the current literature on migrant homecare workers (MCW) in elder care and highlights the various aspects of this fast-spreading phenomenon. It describes population ageing and the growing needs for home-based long-term care. The chapter presents a theoretical approach to understanding the migration of care workers and policies on MCWs. Migrant labour is a cost-effective alternative to the purchase of homecare services, in particular live-in care. Population ageing is a global issue, affecting most Western and developed countries. Care work is also emotional work, although care plans concentrate predominantly upon the provision of reproductive labour and inhibit the creation of nurturing relationships between care providers and recipients. Governments in some developing countries even encourage workers to migrate for employment and count on female migrants, to send remittances home. However, MCWs' jobs, in particular live-in jobs, are very intensive.
