Elderly Care in the Bhutanese Diaspora

Overview

Elderly Bhutanese refugees face among the most acute challenges of any group within the resettled community. Many arrived in Western countries at advanced ages after spending decades in refugee camps, and the transition to American, Canadian, or Australian life has been particularly difficult for this generation.

Challenges

• Social isolation — elderly^[1] refugees often cannot drive, navigate public transit, or communicate in English, leaving them confined to apartments
• Loss of social role — in Bhutan and Nepal, elders held respected positions in extended families and communities; in the diaspora, this role is diminished
• Mental health — depression^[5], anxiety, and suicidal ideation are disproportionately high among elderly Bhutanese refugees
• Healthcare navigation — understanding Western medical systems is difficult without language skills or cultural familiarity

Programs

Project Bhalakushari, an NIH-funded study led by researchers including Dr. Bhuwan Gautam at Harvard and Boston College, is studying the wellbeing of aging Bhutanese refugees in the US and Canada. Community organizations like Parangkush Subedi's mental health training programs have specifically addressed elder mental health.^[3]

References

1. "Past trauma, resettlement stress, and mental health of older Bhutanese with a refugee life experience." Aging & Mental Health / PMC, 2022.
2. "'We are all under the same roof': Coping and meaning-making among older Bhutanese." PMC, 2022.
3. "Addressing the mental health needs of older adult refugees." PMC, 2023.
4. "Socioeconomic Status Among Older Resettled Refugees: Older Bhutanese Refugees' Diminished Returns on Cognitive Health." SAGE / PMC, 2025.
5. "Mental Health Among Older Bhutanese with a Refugee Life Experience: Mixed Methods Latent Class Analysis." PMC, 2023.