The purpose of this article is to describe Korean immigrant caregivers experiences regarding American nursing home placement of their non-English-speaking older relatives with dementia. Qualitative descriptive methods and qualitative content analysis were used. A total of 17 semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 Korean immigrant family caregivers. The Korean way of thinking emerged as a fundamental cultural belief about caregiving. Six major themes were identified: (a) I never thought about a nursing home; (b) If I think in a Korean way, I feel... ; (c) Nursing home staff cannot communicate with... ; (d) My care recipient maintains Korean culture; (e) Nursing home services are better than expected but... ; and (f) My care recipient is more vulnerable because of dementia. This study provides valuable insights for health care providers about communication and cultural issues of immigrant caregivers for non-English-speaking older relatives with dementia.

Dementia immigrants aging General qualitative methods Korea caregiving Koreans Nursing homes older people Informal

Communication Barriers Caregivers psychological aspect Dementia human social isolation communication disorder middle aged home for the aged Homes for the Aged Aged ethnology United States Nursing Homes Humans nursing home Emigrants and Immigrants female Aged, 80 and over cultural factor Article Family Relations migration family relation Cultural Characteristics caregiver