Care Considerations


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Cultures of Digital Transformations in Care for Older Adults: The Case of Social Adoption of Technologies in the Netherlands

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Arturs Vlass Nikulkins  

The paper presents the ethnographic research of social adoption of digital technologies in care for adult citizens in the Netherlands. While these tools are generally accepted, they often encounter skepticism and indifference from carers. We have identified three distinct cultures that shape care provision, namely Technological, Organisational, and Care cultures, each consisting of several logics. Our findings indicate that discrepancies between cultural norms and practices of different actors in care organisations, such as carers, ICT specialists, and management teams, lead to contradictory actions, creating multiple conflicts, and challenging adoption of the new digital technologies both in institutional and home care environments. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing solutions that enhance the effectiveness of digital healthcare interventions, ultimately improving quality of care and better experiences of the care receivers. Our study contributes to the ongoing discussion about socio-cultural aspects of technological transformations within the (health)care sector, offering insights about power dynamics behind innovations, organisational constraints, and unexpected relations emerging in the process of implementation, adoption, and use of digital technologies in care.

Holding the Story: Re-Parenting, Grief, and the Quiet Resistance of Care

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Karel Joyce Kalaw  

This paper explores the intimate labor of caregiving through the lens of migration, grief, and intergenerational healing. Drawing on autoethnographic method, I reflect on my experience as a Filipina daughter caring for my father during the final stages of life in a system not designed to support either of us. I position caregiving as a political and relational act—one that engages healing while navigating structural abandonment and cultural silence. The study examines how aging intersects with memory and cultural identity, especially in diasporic families where the labor of love often goes unseen. I propose that caregiving is not an endpoint of duty, but a method of meaning-making and resistance. This work invites broader reflection on how societies might honor the invisible labor of racialized migrant caregivers and understand care as a communal practice that resists erasure and centers continuity.

Survival Strategies of the Elderly in Rural Ghana: Understanding the Challenges and Factors Affecting their Well-Being

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
F. Akosua Agyemang  

This study examines the survival strategies of elderly people in selected rural communities in Ghana, where poverty, limited state support, and weakening family structures have rendered many older adults vulnerable. Despite their continued contributions to household and community life, they face declining living standards, economic hardship, health challenges, and social isolation. The research aims to understand how these elderly individuals navigate daily life, the nature of the challenges they face, and the underlying factors that affect their well-being. A quantitative approach was employed, surveying 300 elderly individuals aged 60 and above using self-administered questionnaires and non-participant observation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to explore trends in economic activity, health status, and social support. Findings show that many elderly people remain primary household providers and are burdened by chronic illnesses, unstable income, and limited access to healthcare services. Social isolation due to the rural-urban migration of younger generations further worsens their situation. This study highlights the pressing necessity for specific public policies and social support services that will target the elderly in rural Ghana and provide them with the best possible resources and support. The knowledge of how the elderly in these areas cope and thrive through this hardship can enable decision-makers and implementers to come up with the most suitable initiatives and therefore enhance the lives of the elderly.

Digital Media

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