Report on Transnational Elder Care and its Intersection with Sustainable Development Goals

Case Study Overview

A case study involving an Indian American engineer, resident in the United States for over three decades, highlights the growing challenges of transnational elder care. The individual manages the care of his 90-year-old mother, who resides in Mumbai, India. Due to advanced age and fragile health, the mother remains in her home country, supported by full-time nursing and domestic staff. This arrangement necessitates remote coordination of healthcare and daily living requirements, presenting a series of complex challenges for the diaspora family member.

Identified Challenges in Remote Care Coordination

The management of elder care from a significant geographical distance gives rise to a distinct set of obstacles that impact both the caregiver and the recipient. These challenges can be categorized as follows:

• Logistical Hurdles: Coordinating medical appointments, managing prescriptions, and overseeing daily household operations across different time zones and healthcare systems.
• Financial Strain: The economic burden of funding private, full-time nursing and domestic assistance, which represents a significant financial commitment.
• Emotional Toll: The psychological stress and emotional difficulty experienced by family members separated by distance, unable to provide direct, in-person support.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This case study directly relates to several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring the global relevance of accessible and effective elder care systems.

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The primary objective of ensuring quality healthcare and well-being for an elderly parent is central to this scenario. The logistical and financial barriers directly impact the ability to consistently achieve Target 3.8 (achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services). The emotional stress on the caregiver also pertains to the goal’s focus on mental health and well-being.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The situation highlights inequalities faced by the elderly (Target 10.2: empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age). Fragile health can limit access to care, creating a vulnerable population group. Furthermore, it exposes the unique challenges faced by migrant populations in fulfilling familial care responsibilities, pointing to a need for policies that support transnational families.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The financial burden of private care underscores the economic implications of aging populations. The costs can impact the financial stability and economic productivity of the caregiving family. Concurrently, the employment of a nurse and domestic staff relates to the goal of promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all (Target 8.5).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This is the most central SDG, as the article revolves around the health and care of a 90-year-old woman with a fragile health condition. It highlights the need for continuous, quality healthcare for the elderly.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article mentions the “financial challenges” faced by the son in coordinating his mother’s care. This connects to the economic vulnerability of the elderly and their families, highlighting the need for social and financial protection systems to mitigate the costs of long-term care.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The situation addresses inequality based on age. The elderly are a vulnerable demographic who require specific support systems to ensure their inclusion and access to services like healthcare, allowing them to live in dignity.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  While the caregiver in the story is a son, the broader issue of elder care is deeply connected to this goal. Caregiving, whether paid or unpaid, is a role disproportionately filled by women. The article touches upon the “emotional, logistical, and financial challenges” of care coordination, which is a form of care work.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The employment of a “full-time nurse and domestic staff” to care for the mother brings this SDG into focus. It raises questions about the working conditions, labor rights, and security of domestic and healthcare workers, who are essential to the care economy.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: “By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” The mother’s “fragile” health at 90 years old likely involves non-communicable diseases. The provision of a full-time nurse is a form of treatment and management aimed at promoting her well-being.
   • Target 3.8: “Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services…” The mother’s access to a nurse and staff represents access to essential health-care services. However, the “financial challenges” for her son point to the need for better financial risk protection in healthcare.

2. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.3: “Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.” The elderly are a key vulnerable group. The private, family-funded care model described highlights a gap that nationally appropriate social protection systems (like public long-term care services or pensions) could fill.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age…” The article’s focus on ensuring an elderly person can live comfortably and receive care in her chosen home relates directly to promoting the social inclusion and dignity of people of all ages.

4. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.4: “Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies…” Ajay’s long-distance coordination is a form of unpaid care work. The “emotional, logistical, and financial challenges” he faces underscore the burden of this work, which this target aims to recognize and alleviate through policy.

5. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.8: “Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers…” The mention of a “full-time nurse and domestic staff” implies the existence of jobs in the care sector. This target is relevant to ensuring these workers have decent working conditions, fair pay, and protected labor rights.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide quantitative data, but it implies the need for several indicators to measure progress:

1. For SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):

   The article implies the need to measure access to and the cost of healthcare for the elderly. This relates to:

   • Indicator 3.8.1 (Coverage of essential health services): The mother’s access to a nurse could be seen as a qualitative example of this indicator, specifically for the elderly demographic.
   • Indicator 3.8.2 (Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health): The “financial challenges” mentioned directly point to the out-of-pocket healthcare costs that families bear, which this indicator is designed to track.

2. For SDG 1 (No Poverty):

   The need for social safety nets for the elderly is a key theme. This relates to:

   • Indicator 1.3.1 (Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems): The article presents a case where private funding is used in the absence of, or as a supplement to, public social protection. This highlights the importance of measuring the coverage of social protection for older persons.

3. For SDG 5 (Gender Equality):

   The “emotional” and “logistical” efforts of caregiving are highlighted. This relates to:

   • Indicator 5.4.1 (Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work): While the article focuses on a son, it underscores the significant time and effort (unpaid labor) involved in coordinating care, which this indicator measures.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: newsbreak.com