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. © 1993 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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Russia immigrant elderly care hospitalization Caregivers Sick Role human aging Homes for the Aged health service Aged Social Work United States Nursing Homes male case report female Aged, 80 and over crisis intervention Jews Review Individuation cultural factor Parent-Child Relations family counseling adult patient attitude Emigration and Immigration health care system Middle Age