How Language Matters in Transnational Care: A Conversation with Professor Loretta Baldassar

In this episode of the Care Matters podcast mini-series How Language Matters, Dr Jayanthi Lingham (Centre for Care, University of Sheffield) speaks with Professor Loretta Baldassar (Edith Cowan University, Australia) about the critical—but often overlooked—role of language in shaping care experiences among ageing migrant populations.

Drawing on comparative insights from Australia and the UK, the episode delves into:

• The demographic reality of ageing migrant populations and their unique care needs.
• Language as a barrier to accessing timely and adequate care services.
• The complex dynamics between migrant care recipients and migrant care workers—often both using English as a second language.
• How language intersects with digital literacy, class, and race in access to care.

The conversation is a vital listen for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working at the intersection of migration, ageing, and care.

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Learn more about our research on the Centre for Care website here: https://centreforcare.ac.uk/

The CARE MATTERS Podcast is produced by Dan Williamson at the Centre for Care.

---Intro/outro music: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0