Theories of Late-Life Migration and Communication Accommodation Theory

When working with immigrant seniors, it is important for practitioners to have not only an understanding of settlement challenges, but also to know how to approach communication with elders, particularly from cross-cultural and intercultural frameworks. Refer to “Chapter 5: Intercultural Competence and Communication” for more information. The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) (2012) notes several recommendations for communicating with adults to improve interactions (p. 1). We will examine a few case studies based on the GSA’s evidence-based approach to communicating with older adults. It is important to note that language and intelligence does not decline as elders age; knowledge remains stable (Gerontological Society of America, 2012, p. 4). However, hearing loss is the third most common condition among people who are 65 to 75 years of age, followed by vision loss, which can limit the ability to drive at night, and a reduction in the speed and process of language (pp. 4–5).

The global aging population is expected to increase by 21.1% by 2050 (Likupe, Baxter, & Jogi, 2018, p. 180). This can be attributed to better health care that may extend the life cycle. Sadarangani and Jun (2015) examine the impacts of late-life migration on newly arrived elderly immigrants using three theories, Life Course Theory (Clausen, 1986), Continuity Theory (Atchley, 1989), and Exchange Theory (Pyke, 1999). These theories have been summarized in Table 1. Models of Late-Life Migration and can also be applied to working and communicating with immigrant seniors (Sadarangani & Jun, 2015, pp. 115–117). Life Course Theory surmises that immigrant seniors emigrate late in life because of historical, social, and political factors of that time. This could include economic crises or war. On the other hand, Continuity Theory is embedded in the idea that an immigrant senior who stayed behind in their country of origin would be worse off psychologically because their family bond with the younger generation would be lost, so migration is a better option. Finally, Exchange Theory evaluates the cost versus benefits of a senior migrating or remaining in their country of origin. For example, an immigrant senior may be concerned about who would take care of them as they age. Table 1. Models of Late-Life Migration summarizes the assumptions and impacts of late-life migration on the life of immigrant seniors.

Table 1. Models of late-life migration

Note: This table summarizes the various theories that impact the late-life migration to Canada of immigrant seniors.

Communication Accommodation Theory

On one hand, elder immigrant newcomers may see themselves as the knowledge keepers and preservers of cultural norms and heritage, but at times, they may feel frustrated, angry, or resentful that their traditional norms of power and independence may become weakened once they migrate to Canada. Communication is the best tool for supporting elderly newcomers because language barriers in communication can result in poor health care (Likupe, Baxter, & Jogi, 2018, p. 181). This is where stereotyping occurs among settlement practitioners and health, public or social service workers when dealing with elderly newcomers, and microaggressions begin to expose the assumptions of service providers. Note, for the purposes of this chapter, a microaggression is defined as a verbal statement or action that is hostile, derogatory, or negative towards someone. Microaggressions can be subtle, indirect, or unintentional, and occur against marginalized groups of people.

One framework to consider in providing ethical, effective, and respectful communication is Communication Accommodation Theory, otherwise known as CAT (Momand & Dubrowski, 2020, p. 3.). In this theory, service providers reflect on the social differences in communicative behaviour using two assumptions. First, behaviour changes based on the communicator and the recipient of the communication, and second, perception is directly correlated to how well the communicator and recipient are attuned to the conversation (p. 3). The following convergence method is used to provide effective communication between practitioner and elderly clients:

The divergence approach happens when practitioners speak too quickly, provide too much information at one time, and do not give the receiver (the client) time to respond. Look for non-verbal cues from the receiver such as disapproval, confusion, or head shaking “no”—all signs that the receiver is confused, uncomfortable, or not understanding the message. When considering convergence, use CAT, which includes the following:

The convergent approach is more appropriate to use over the divergent approach because it builds rapport between the settlement practitioner and the client. In contrast, the divergent approach may be seen by the client as dismissive and confusing, whereas the convergent approach demonstrates respect and active listening.