Welcome to These Shores

Abstract

This chapter explains that while immigrants play an important role across the health care spectrum, a federally funded 2004 report found that their numbers were greatest among home care workers. Sensitivity to cultural differences will likely need to be applied to various aspects of a home health aide's (HHA) daily tasks. In addition, aides need to leave their own cultural attitudes at the door and communicate plainly and directly with the care recipient. The chapter then looks at the effects of the Trump administration's immigration program on immigrant HHAs. It is important to acknowledge that these immigrants are as important to the economy as the immigrant physicists and software engineers. In addition to increasing wages and benefits for HHAs, efforts could be made to recruit immigrants by facilitating a visa process for those women willing to commit to working as HHAs for a certain length of time.