Quality of Life of Older Bhutanese Refugees in the U.S

After living in refugee camps in Nepal for 15 to 20 years, approximately 70,000 Bhutanese refugees have resettled in the U.S. since 2008.  Although providing support for mental health needs has been documented in the literature as a successful refugee resettlement strategy, there is very little research on the health of elderly refugees resettled in the U.S. The objectives of the study were to: (1) understand the experience of older Bhutanese refugees adjusting to resettlement in a U.S. city and (2) identify strengths and unmet health needs among these immigrants. The sample included Bhutanese refugee adults, age 50 or greater, who have resettled in the Northeast U.S. region for at least a year. The ethical consideration was approved by the UMass Lowell Institutional Review Board. The study incorporated the phenomenological approach. A purposive snowball sampling was used to recruit study participants. Nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Nepalese, the native language of the immigrants by a member of the research team. The researchers adhered to the steps outlined by Moustakas for data analysis. Based on interview field notes and  translated interviews, the preliminary themes are:  a) Social isolation related to language barriers b) Loss of cultural traditions c) Concerns related to citizenship attainment d) Adequate resettlement support from local resettlement agency, state, and federal programs.  The study results will offer an insight into the quality of life of aging older refugee populations in the U.S, which are important considerations when developing older refugee resettlement programs.