Foreign Live-in Domestic Workers as Caretakers of Kuwaiti Men and Women Aged 70+: Are There Any Associations with Health?

Nasra M. Shah, Kuwait University
Hanan Badr, Kuwait University
Makhdoom A. Shah, Kuwait University

In a survey of older persons aged 50+ in Kuwait we found that foreign live-in domestic workers are playing a very important role in providing assistance in performance of ADLs and care during illness, especially among the oldest persons. Such workers comprised 19 % of all residents (n= 8210) in our sampled households (n=1490). Among the 2487 respondents aged 50+, 7 % men and 35 % women were usually looked after by a domestic worker when ill. Logistic regression indicated that among those aged 70+ the likelihood of being looked after by a domestic worker rather than a family member during illness was positively associated with being female, living without any co-resident children, and residing in richer households. Respondents who were looked after by a domestic worker ranked poorer on several health indicators than those looked after by a family member when sick, which may call for policy attention.