JOURNEY OF SEPARATION - ELDERLY RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR ADULT CHILDREN IN THE HEALTH-CARE SETTING

The adult children of elderly Russian immigrants often react to their parents' medical illness and subsequent hospitalization with maladaptive behaviors. This paper posits that the underlying issue behind such behaviors is the emotional separation between the elderly immigrants and their adult children, an issue which becomes especially prominent during the parent's health crisis. It examines the psycho-cultural factors of the clients' past as well as the migration-related losses that impinge upon their ability to work through this separation. The paper introduces a model of social work intervention aimed at helping the immigrants to negotiate separation in the context of the health care setting. It provides a case example and recommendations for social work treatment.