[Reaching elderly migrants where they live : Experiences from the Swiss "Vicino" project]

Community involvement through formal and informal networks is an important resource of support for elderly people with or without a migrant background, particularly as they get older. In the research and development project "Vicino - reaching elderly migrants where they live" the factors for success and failure in the cooperation between public institutions (organizations which do not focus on a specific group of migrants but are accessible for everybody) and migrant organizations were identified by means of three participatory interventions.

Vicino is based on a secondary analysis of population statistics and qualitative interviews with elderly migrants as well as experts. Furthermore, three interventions were conducted. The data collection took place in a rural, an urban and an agglomeration municipality.

The results showed that nationality-specific and language-specific networks play an important role for the majority of elderly migrants; however, commuting activities between the country of origin and country of reception have a major influence on the use of local networks and public services. It is recommended that public services wanting to collaborate with migrant organizations use participatory methods. It has to be ensured that elderly migrants are involved through key persons and approaching methods and that their transnational networks are included right from the beginning of a project.

The development of services in the area of age and migration ought to involve the participation of elderly migrants and take their commuting activities into account as these activities have an impact on their use of public institutions and their involvement in migrant organizations.