Getting Old Here and There: Opportunities and Pitfalls of Transnational Care Arrangements.

This article focuses on challenges of transnational aging and family care among „guest
-workers‟ from Italy and Spain. It is based on two qualitative studies on aging in migration and experiences of family care. These migrants‟ situations tend to be socioeconomically underprivileged, yet they have the option to either stay in Switzerland or return to Italy or Spain. Our results show that an additional option is available by combining elements of both national systems of reference. However, these options are often costly and have shortcomings which are particularly relevant when ill health conditions demand intensified care. By then, decisions taken within the context of transnational ways of living have farreaching consequences that affect not only the elderly migrants but also their adult children. The empirical data presented in this article illustrate how specific constellations of caring options emerge from the Swiss „guest-worker‟ migration regime and from transnational practices and choices made in earlier years.

Keywords: aging migrants, Italians in Switzerland, family care, social security, life course, narrative interviews