Experiences of home‐care workers with the ‘Stay Active at Home’ programme targeting reablement of community‐living older adults: An exploratory study

Background: The study’s aim is to examine social workers’ experience in facilitating the integration of foreign home care workers (FHCWs) into the ultraorthodox Jewish (UOJ) community for the purpose of treating older adults. Method: Using the qualitative-phenomenological approach, semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 social workers in daily contact with UOJ older adult clients in the process of integrating FHCWs. Results: Data analysis revealed three central themes—integrating FHCWs into the aging UOJ family: barriers and challenges in the interaction between the two worlds; “even the rabbi has a FHCW”: changing trends in caring for older adults; and the social worker as mediator and facilitator of a successful relationship. Discussion: Social workers play a central role, serving as a cultural bridge in the process of integrating FHCWs, as a way of addressing the needs of ultraorthodox elderly and their families, while also considering the needs of the foreign workers.

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‘It’s what you do that makes a difference’ An interpretative phenomenological analysis of health care professionals and home care workers experiences of nutritional care for people living with dementia at home

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-019-1270-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Louise Mole ◽

Bridie Kent ◽

Mary Hickson ◽

Rebecca Abbott

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Home Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Phenomenological Analysis ◽

Care Practice ◽

Nutritional Care ◽

Care Workers ◽

Home Care Workers ◽

At Home

Abstract Background People living with dementia at home are a group who are at increased risk of malnutrition. Health care professionals and home care workers, are ideally placed to support nutritional care in this vulnerable group. Yet, few, if any studies, have captured the experiences of these workers in respect of treating and managing nutritional issues. This interpretative phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of the nutritional care of people living with dementia at home from the perspectives of health care professionals and home care workers. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2017 and March 2018, and supplemented with the use of a vignette outlining a scenario of a husband caring for his wife with dementia. Health care professionals and home care workers were purposively recruited from local care providers in the south west of England, who had experience of working with people with dementia. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was used throughout. Results Seven participants took part including two home care workers, a general practitioner, dietitian, occupational therapist, nurse and social worker. The time in their professions ranged from 3 to 15 years (mean = 8.9 years). Following analysis, four superordinate themes were identified: ‘responsibility to care’, ‘practice restrained by policy’, ‘in it together’, and ‘improving nutritional care’. This group of health care professionals and home care workers recognised the importance of improving nutritional care for people living with dementia at home, and felt a responsibility for it. However they felt that they were restricted by time and/or knowledge. The importance of supporting the family carer and working collaboratively was highlighted. Conclusions Health care professionals and home care workers require further training to better equip them to provide nutritional care for people living with dementia at home. Models of care may also need to be adapted to enable a more flexible and tailored approach to incorporate nutritional care. Future work in this area should focus on how health care professionals and home care workers can be better equipped to screen for malnutrition, and support changes to nutritional intake to mitigate malnutrition risk.

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Satisfaction with the relationship from the perspectives of family caregivers, older adults and their home care workers

Aging & Mental Health ◽

10.1080/13607863.2015.1020412 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 56-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Liat Ayalon ◽

Ilan Roziner

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Home Care ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Care Workers ◽

Home Care Workers ◽

The Relationship

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Becoming a Home Care Worker: Job-Seekers’ Push and Pull Factors

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027519886176 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 62-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shiri Shinan-Altman ◽

Varda Soskolne ◽

Liat Ayalon

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Home Care ◽

Personal Relationship ◽

Job Seekers ◽

Pull Factors ◽

Push And Pull Factors ◽

The Past ◽

Care Workers ◽

Home Care Workers ◽

Push And Pull

This study examined “push and pull” factors associated with the decision to become home care workers among job-seekers in Israel. Participants completed measures of ageism, anxiety about aging, attitudes toward the home care profession, and personal relationship with older adults. Of 1,492 participants, 32.0% accepted the offer to become home care workers and were no longer in the job market, 36.7% accepted the offer but worked in the past, and 31.2% refused the offer. Compared to participants currently employed, the odds of being employed in the past were higher for participants who were younger, with poorer health and higher ageism; the odds of refusal were higher for males, Arabs, younger participants, with more education, lower ageism, and fewer personal relationship with older adults. The findings have implications for practice with job-seekers and for retaining current home care workers in the field. This may assist in expanding the home care workforce.

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Abuse is in the eyes of the beholder: using multiple perspectives to evaluate elder mistreatment under round-the-clock foreign home carers in Israel

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x1000108x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 499-520 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

LIAT AYALON

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Home Care ◽

Elder Abuse ◽

Family Members ◽

Multiple Perspectives ◽

Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Care Workers ◽

Abuse And Neglect ◽

Home Care Workers

ABSTRACTThe overall goal of the study reported in this paper was to examine differences in the perceived occurrence of abuse and neglect as between older care recipients, their family carers, and foreign home-care workers in Israel. Overall, 148 matched family members and foreign home-care workers and 75 care recipients completed a survey of abuse and neglect. Significant discrepancies in their reports of neglect were found, with the foreign home-care workers more likely to identify neglect (66%) than the older adults (27.7%) or their family members (29.5%). Although the rates of reported abuse ranged between 16.4 and 20.7 per cent and the differences were not statistically significant, the different parties assigned the responsibility for the abuse to different perpetrators. The independent variables that significantly associated with abuse and neglect also varied by the three groups of participants. The findings suggest that even with round-the-clock home care, the basic needs of many older adults are not met, and that many experience substantial abuse. The study emphasises the subjective nature of abuse and neglect, and suggests that more education about what constitutes elder abuse and neglect may lead to more accurate and consistent reports across reporting sources. Incorporating data from the various stakeholders may enhance the early identification of elder abuse and neglect.

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Whose Right Is It Anyway? Familiarity with Workers’ Rights Among Older Adults, Family Caregivers, and Migrant Live-In Home Care Workers: Implications for Policy and Practice

Educational Gerontology ◽

10.1080/03601277.2014.990747 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 41 (7) ◽

pp. 471-481 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ohad Green ◽

Liat Ayalon

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Home Care ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Care Workers ◽

Home Care Workers

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Embodying Inequality

Inequalities of Aging ◽

10.18574/nyu/9781479810734.003.0004 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 126-150

Author(s):

Elana D. Buch

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Home Care ◽

Care Work ◽

Social Hierarchies ◽

Care Workers ◽

Care Practices ◽

Home Care Workers ◽

Embodied Care

This chapter analyzes the embodied care practices at the center of home care work. The chapter argues that these practices generate deep but fragile entanglements between the lives and bodies of older adults and those of their home care workers. These practices involve forms of empathy that blur the boundaries between older adults’ and home care workers’ bodies and their personhoods. I show how home care transforms seemingly straightforward tasks like cooking into moral practices that help older adults feel independent. Home care workers’ bodies become the ground upon which moral hierarchies between persons are built, experienced, and justified on a day-to-day basis. Daily home care practices generate ways of embodying social hierarchies and shape individual subjectivities, thereby making those hierarchies feel morally legitimate.

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Right at home: living with dementia and multi-morbidities

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x2000104x ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Nicola A. Cunningham ◽

Julie Cowie ◽

Karen Methven

Keyword(s):

Home Care ◽

Policy Development ◽

Multiple Perspectives ◽

Health Crisis ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Care Workers ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

Care Systems ◽

Home Care Workers ◽

At Home

Abstract Dementia is recognised as the biggest health crisis of our time in terms of high personal and social costs and wider impact on health and social care systems. Increases in people living with dementia and multi-morbidities presents critical challenges for home care worldwide. Health-care systems struggle to provide adequate home-care services, delivering limited care restricted to a single-condition focus. This study explored the experiences and expectations of home care from the multiple perspectives of people living with dementia and multi-morbidities and home-care workers providing support. Findings draw from qualititative semi-structured interviews with people with dementia (N = 2), their partners (N = 2), other partners or family carers (N = 6) and home-care workers (N = 26). Three themes are identified: (a) the preference for and value of home; (b) inadequate home-care provision and enhanced care burden; and (c) limited training and education. Despite continued calls for home-care investment, the focus on reduction in costs hides key questions and further dialogue is required exploring how people with dementia can be supported to live independently and flourish at home. This study considers these complex experiences and care requirements through the prism of disability and human rights frameworks. This paper concludes with consideration of more recent human social rights debate. We discuss critically what this may mean for people living with dementia and consider the implications for co-requisite policy development to optimise available home-care support.

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Family Caregiver Perspectives on Benefits and Challenges of Caring for Older Adults With Paid Caregivers

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464820959559 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 073346482095955

Author(s):

Amy L. Shaw ◽

Catherine A. Riffin ◽

Ariel Shalev ◽

Harveen Kaur ◽

Madeline R. Sterling

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

New York ◽

Home Care ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Medical Center ◽

Academic Medical Center ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Right ◽

Home Care Workers

Background: Many older adults receive help from both family caregivers and home care workers. We aimed to understand family caregivers’ perspectives on home care workers. Methods: This qualitative study took place at an academic medical center in New York, N.Y. We interviewed family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults about their experiences with home care workers. We analyzed transcripts thematically. Results: We interviewed 17 family caregivers and identified four major themes: (a) home care workers provide functional and emotional support; (b) home care is logistically challenging; (c) finding the right fit between home care workers, older adults, and families is essential; and (d) home care workers and family caregivers coordinate care well beyond the initiation of home care. Conclusion: Despite its logistical challenges, home care benefits patients and family caregivers. Given the growing prevalence of caregiving, clinicians and family caregivers might benefit from training and support about working with home care workers.

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