DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT OF A DIVERSITY TRAINING WORKSHOP RELEVANT TO COMMUNITY AGED CARE WORKERS

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how community aged care workers evaluate job quality using a job quality framework. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a qualitative approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups from a large aged care organisation. Findings – Perceptions of job quality are influenced by individual motivations, match between life-stage and work flexibility, as well as broader community views of the value of this type of work. Intrinsic factors (e.g. autonomy, job content) moderate the impact of extrinsic factors such as pay and job security. Research limitations/implications – The sample is relatively small and the study is based on data from one aged care organisation which may not reflect employment conditions in other organisations. Practical implications – Attraction and retention of community care workers can be improved by addressing factors associated with remuneration (including employment contracts and hours of work) and career structures. Skill and experience-based career structures would help build organisational capacity as well as making these jobs more attractive. Social implications – The demand for community care will continue to increase. Attracting, retaining and managing this workforce will be critical to meeting society’s expectations regarding the future care needs of older people. Originality/value – This research explores an under-researched workforce group in a critical area of aged care management. It highlights two key areas with the potential to improve employee perceptions of job quality and therefore address issues related to attraction, retention, job satisfaction and ultimately organisational performance.

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Turnover Intention Among Direct Care Workers of Older Adults in Chinese Hospitals and Nursing Homes

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.284 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 86-86

Author(s):

Zhenzhen Zhang ◽

Shuangshuang Wang ◽

Nengliang (Aaron) Yao ◽

Zhang Zhenzhen

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Turnover Intention ◽

Aged Care ◽

Identity Transformation ◽

Direct Care ◽

Retention Rates ◽

Direct Care Workers ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Government

Abstract High retention rates among direct care workers (DCWs) affect the quality of aged care. However, limited research has explored factors associated with retention in the Chinese aged care industry. This study compared turnover intention and job satisfaction among DCWs in Chinese hospitals and nursing homes. A total 370 DCWs from 7 hospitals (297 contractual, 73 non-contractual) and 311 DCWs from 7 nursing homes (27 contractual, 284 non-contractual) located in Fujian, China were recruited to fill out a questionnaire. Overall, DCWs from hospitals reported lower turnover intention (20.5 % vs 37.0%) and higher levels of job satisfaction (31.1% vs 16.4%) than DCWs from nursing homes. Specifically, contractual DCWs from hospitals indicated lower turnover intention (14.8%) than non-contractual DCWs from hospitals (43.8%) and both types of DCWs from nursing homes (36.3% and 44.4%). Higher job satisfaction was associated with lower turnover intention, but did not mediate the association between DCW types and turnover intention. Findings suggested that the government and institutions should help DCWs complete the identity transformation from non-contractual DCWs to contractual DCWs to enhance job security and benefits. For nursing home DCWs, licensing and registration requirements shall meet the standards for hospital DCWs. Attention is also to be paid to working conditions and staff welfare of DCWs, including social insurance, pensions, and trainings, to improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover intention.

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