scholarly journals “We just get paid for 12 hours a day, but we work 24”: home health aide restrictions and work related stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian L. Shotwell ◽  
Eve Wool ◽  
Andrzej Kozikowski ◽  
Renee Pekmezaris ◽  
Jill Slaboda ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Home-bound patients in New York State requiring long-term care services have seen significant changes to their benefits due to turmoil in the Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) market. While there has been research conducted regarding the effect of MLTC challenges on beneficiaries, the impact of MLTC regulatory changes on home health aides has not been explored. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with formal caregivers, defined as paid home health aides (HHAs) (n = 13) caring for patients in a home-based primary care program in the New York City metropolitan area. HHAs were asked about their satisfaction with the home based primary care program, their own job satisfaction, and whether HHA restrictions affect their work in any way. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Results Two main themes emerged: (1) Pay, benefits and hours worked and (2) Concerns about patient well-being afterhours. HHAs are working more hours than they are compensated for, experience wage stagnation and loss of benefits, and experience stress related to leaving frail clients alone after their shifts end. Conclusions HHAs experience significant job-related stress when caring for frail elderly patients at home, which may have implications for both patient care and HHA turnover. As government bodies contemplate new policy directions for long-term care programs which rely on HHAs the impact of these changes on this vulnerable workforce must be considered.

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 175-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Nichols

This project examines the effects of spiritual care on chronically ill and aging populations and those who care for them by studying the development of a comprehensive Pastoral Care Program at Episcopal Communities & Services (ECS), a nonprofit that owns two Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) in Southern California (in 2010 ECS operated three communities). The study includes the vision, methodology, and specific steps taken to implement this spiritual care program and methods to measure its efficacy. Data is analyzed from satisfaction surveys conducted the year before the program's introduction and surveys taken 2 and 4 years after the institution of the Pastoral Care Program, along with anecdotal findings. Results indicated that spiritual awareness and satisfaction increased throughout the resident population after the Pastoral Care Program's establishment and that satisfaction levels continued to improve as the program developed over time. This study suggests that spiritual support (both religious and nonreligious) is a vital factor in well-being and quality of life at the end of life and that transdisciplinary palliative care is needed in long-term care settings to address spiritual and psychosocial needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Barth

Although demand for long-term care (LTC) in Germany is expected to increase over the coming decades, the LTC sector will struggle to provide sufficient capacity. Evaluating the impact of different risk factors on future LTC demand is necessary in order to make informed policy decisions. With regard to LTC need, dementia and lower extremity injuries (LEI) are common risk factors. Both are used to demonstrate their maximum attainable efficacy in mitigating the future increase in overall LTC need, both at home and in nursing homes.We use a multi-state projection model for which the estimation of the underlying transition and mortality rates is based on longitudinal health claims data from AOK, Germany’s largest public health insurance provider, between 2004 and 2010. We project six different scenarios of LTC for ages 75+ in Germany for the period from 2014 to 2044, including counterfactual scenarios that remove the effects of LEI, dementia, or both. Our multi-state projections distinguish between home-based and institutional LTC.Removing the effect of LTC risk factors mitigates the increase in total LTC demand and postpones demand until a later age. Removing dementia markedly shifts future care demand from institutional LTC to LTC at home and even increases demand for LTC at home at older ages beyond the baseline projection due to the dual function of dementia as a risk factor for both LTC demand and mortality. Removing LEI has less of an effect on overall and sectoral LTC demand. Removing both risk factors at the same time results in the greatest impact, which is even more marked than that of both individual scenarios combined, thus indicating a synergistic relationship between dementia and LEI on LTC risk.The type of LTC demand (home-based or institutional) shows considerable plasticity when specific risk factors are removed. We demonstrate the degree to which LTC demand can be affected in favour of LTC at home, using dementia and LEI as examples of potentially modifiable risk factors, and thus show how the efficacy of potential intervention targets for policy-makers can be assessed.This study provides evidence on the degree of plasticity of future long-term care demand at home and in institutions that would hypothetically be attainable when completely removing specific cognitive or physical risk factors of care need (dementia or lower EI). It is based on large-scale health claims data, which contain longitudinal individual level data on morbidity and long-term care status. A close link exists between the cognitive risk factor of dementia and the type of LTC, as its absence shifts care demand to home-based care at older ages. The study also demonstrates the usefulness of counterfactual projections based on health claims data in assessing the hypothetical maximum efficacy of different intervention strategies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (19) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
FRANCES CORREA

Health Policy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Schulz ◽  
Reiner Leidl ◽  
Hans-Helmut König

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Poldrugovac ◽  
J E Amuah ◽  
H Wei-Randall ◽  
P Sidhom ◽  
K Morris ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Evidence of the impact of public reporting of healthcare performance on quality improvement is not yet sufficient to draw conclusions with certainty, despite the important policy implications. This study explored the impact of implementing public reporting of performance indicators of long-term care facilities in Canada. The objective was to analyse whether improvements can be observed in performance measures after publication. Methods We considered 16 performance indicators in long-term care in Canada, 8 of which are publicly reported at a facility level, while the other 8 are privately reported. We analysed data from the Continuing Care Reporting System managed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and based on information collection with RAI-MDS 2.0 © between the fiscal years 2011 and 2018. A multilevel model was developed to analyse time trends, before and after publication, which started in 2015. The analysis was also stratified by key sample characteristics, such as the facilities' jurisdiction, size, urban or rural location and performance prior to publication. Results Data from 1087 long-term care facilities were included. Among the 8 publicly reported indicators, the trend in the period after publication did not change significantly in 5 cases, improved in 2 cases and worsened in 1 case. Among the 8 privately reported indicators, no change was observed in 7, and worsening in 1 indicator. The stratification of the data suggests that for those indicators that were already improving prior to public reporting, there was either no change in trend or there was a decrease in the rate of improvement after publication. For those indicators that showed a worsening trend prior to public reporting, the contrary was observed. Conclusions Our findings suggest public reporting of performance data can support change. The trends of performance indicators prior to publication appear to have an impact on whether further change will occur after publication. Key messages Public reporting is likely one of the factors affecting change in performance in long-term care facilities. Public reporting of performance measures in long-term care facilities may support improvements in particular in cases where improvement was not observed before publication.


Author(s):  
Bum Jung Kim ◽  
Sun-young Lee

Extensive research has demonstrated the factors that influence burnout among social service employees, yet few studies have explored burnout among long-term care staff in Hawaii. This study aimed to examine the impact of job value, job maintenance, and social support on burnout of staff in long-term care settings in Hawaii, USA. This cross-sectional study included 170 long-term care staff, aged 20 to 75 years, in Hawaii. Hierarchical regression was employed to explore the relationships between the key independent variables and burnout. The results indicate that staff with a higher level of perceived job value, those who expressed a willingness to continue working in the same job, and those with strong social support from supervisors or peers are less likely to experience burnout. Interventions aimed at decreasing the level of burnout among long-term care staff in Hawaii may be more effective through culturally tailored programs aimed to increase the levels of job value, job maintenance, and social support.


Author(s):  
J. Jbilou ◽  
A. El Bouazaoui ◽  
B. Zhang ◽  
J.L. Henry ◽  
L McDonald ◽  
...  

Older adults living in long-term care facilities typically receive insufficient exercise and have long periods of the day when they are not doing anything other than sitting or lying down, watching television, or ruminating (Wilkinson et al., 2017). We developed an intervention called the Experiential Centivizer, which provides residents with opportunities to use a driving simulator, watch world travel videos, and engage in exercise. We assessed the impact of the intervention on residents of a long-term care home in Fredericton, NB, Canada. In this paper, we report on the results observed and highlight the lessons learned from implementing a technological intervention within a long-term care setting. Practical and research recommendations are also discussed to facilitate future intervention implementation in long-term care.


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