Uprooting and resettlement experiences of South Asian immigrant women

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to examine and understand the challenges faced by elderly women from India who immigrated to Canada. Ten women were interviewed about their experiences with immigration and resettlement. The analysis of interview data involved iterative process, through which four themes were identified. These themes were isolation and loneliness, family conflict, economic dependence, and setting in and coping. The participants experienced loss because of changes in traditional values and lack of social support. Because the participants could not manage resettlement on their own, personal independence was not very important. Interdependence for the attainment of emotional security and social rewards was more desirable. Health care professionals must take into account the nature of stress and impact of these experiences on health of older immigrant women.