Abstract

Problem An estimated 100,000–500,000 migrant care workers provide live-in care in German households, many of them caring for older people with dementia. Social research has identified a wide range of structural social problems associated with live-in care. However, a systematic ethical analysis and discussion is still missing. Arguments This article explores the moral conflicts that arise in the microsetting of live-in arrangements for people with dementia. For this purpose, we conduct an ethical analysis of the expectations of relatives towards live-in care for people with dementia based on a qualitative content analysis of 182 contributions from three German-language online forums. These expectations address live-ins as service providers, professional nurses, moral agents, and family members. Conclusion The diverse and often disappointed expectations of relatives are an expression of problematic and partly contradictory claims regarding live-in care for people with dementia. An ethical analysis of their legitimacy and coherence can help to improve the individual arrangement, the institutional organisation, and the moral framing and legal regulation of live-in care.