We are deeply shocked by the murderous attacks by the terrorist organization Hamas on Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023. We are in solidarity with our Israeli colleagues and stand firmly by their side in this difficult time!

Scientific project leaders:
Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (PI)
Dr. Milena von Kutzleben (Co-PI)
Prof. Dr. Liat Ayalon (PI), Bar Ilan University/ Israel

Operative project leaders (please contact for questions about the project):
Anna-Eva Nebowsky
Natalie Ulitsa, Bar Ilan University/ Israel

Voluntary scientific year:
Tom Koelmann

Duration:
2022-2024

Funding institution:
VolkswagenStiftung, grant number:  11-76251-2684/2021 ZN 3864

Project description:
Population ageing leads to a higher prevalence of dementia and thus an increasing need for care for those affected. Dementia Disease is characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive capabilities and an increasing need for help and care. This need cannot be fulfilled sufficiently by professional care workers and informal carers. In many countries, migrant live-in carers have become a common solution to fill this care void, e.g. Germany and Israel. However, these live-in care arrangements are prone to considerable social, legal, and moral difficulties. Nowadays, migrant care workers, employed by families, are expected to provide 24-hour care while living with their patients. Israel has created binding legal regulations whereas, in Germany, a legal framework is absent.

This project focuses on the comparative empirical exploration of moral conflicts in live-in care arrangements in Germany and Israel and their ethical reflection. Therefore, different levels will be examined. In the triad itself the moral and intercultural conflicts, the distribution of roles within the families, and the caring responsibilities are important aspects. On the meso level the interaction between family and agency will be analyzed, as well as the response to the need for more care capacities, regulatory differences, and the consequences brought by current neoliberal development on the macro level. The data will be collected by conducting group interviews within the triad with the person with dementia, the live-in, and the relatives and with groups of experts.

The aim is to develop a more profound understanding of moral conflicts in live-in dementia care in Germany and Israel in order to formulate empirically informed ethical recommendations for care providers and policy makers.