Transnational Caregiving and Grief: An Autobiographical Case Study of Loss and Love During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article examines grief while providing transnational caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are an estimated 275 million migrants living in their destination homeland which is 3.5% of the global population. The transnational family strives to maintain solidarity, intergenerational ties, and cultural values while sustaining family structure across international borders. Transnational caregiving is the exchange of support and care across distance and international borders. The devastating assault of COVID-19 on older adults impacted caregiving significantly, especially transnational caregiving. A qualitative case study method was selected to examine a participant’s understanding and experience of transnational caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the interviews and writing of the narrative summary, five themes emerged related to transnational caregiving and COVID-related losses –exposure to sudden and unexpected death, isolation, guilt, loss and change of traditions, and lack of closure.

Keywords

COVID-19 transnational caregiving complicated grief disenfranchised grief older adults

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