Home care professionals’ views on working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Ireland

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Mercille ◽  
Justin Edwards ◽  
Nicholas O’Neill
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
The State ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Shed Light

This article examines home care professionals’ views on working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, it identifies similarities and differences between private, public and non-profit providers. The article seeks to shed light on the impacts of marketisation/privatisation on working conditions during the pandemic. Statistical tests on 350 questionnaires received from care workers in Ireland demonstrate the difficult working conditions during COVID-19 and variations by type of employer. We discuss an apparent ‘return of the state’ in home care provision during the pandemic, which may have dampened differences between types of providers.

scholarly journals Professionalisation of early childhood education and care practitioners: Working conditions in Ireland

2021 ◽  
pp. 146394912110101
Author(s):  
Geraldine Mooney Simmie ◽  
Dawn Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Women Workers ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
The State ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Education And Care

The last decade has revealed a global (re)configuring of the relationships between the state, society and educational settings in the direction of systems of performance management. In this article, the authors conduct a critical feminist inquiry into this changing relationship in relation to the professionalisation of early childhood education and care practitioners in Ireland, with a focus on dilemmatic contradictions between the policy reform ensemble and practitioners’ reported working conditions in a doctoral study. The critique draws from the politics of power and education, and gendered and classed subjectivities, and allows the authors to theorise early childhood education and care professionalisation in alternative emancipatory ways for democratic pedagogy rather than a limited performativity. The findings reveal the state (re)configured as a central command centre with an over-reliance on surveillance, alongside deficits of responsibility for public interest values in relation to the working conditions of early childhood education and care workers, who are mostly part-time ‘pink-collar’ women workers in precarious roles. The study has implications that go beyond Ireland for the professionalisation of early childhood education and care workers and meeting the early developmental needs of young children.

Formalizing the Informal

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Romina Guevarra ◽  
Lolita Andrada Lledo
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Improve Working ◽  
Living Wages ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Many ◽  
Home Care Workers

This chapter examines the informal economy of Filipina care workers in southern California, with particular emphasis on their pragmatic and survival consciousness that enables them to perform skilled work and at the same time negotiate the meaning of this work for themselves as well as the material and familial realities of their lives. Cultivating this pragmatic and survival consciousness among Filipino caregivers is central to the work of the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), a low-wage, worker-based, grassroots social justice organization that primarily serves Los Angeles's low-income Filipino community. The chapter discusses the PWC's campaign called Caregivers Organizing for Unity, Respect, and Genuine Empowerment (COURAGE), which seeks to address the many needs of the Filipino caregivers. It also considers the Homecare Workers Cooperative (the COURAGE Co-Op) that aims to offer its employees (primarily low-income Filipino immigrant caregivers) living wages and health benefits, improve working conditions, bring home-care workers out of isolation, and connect them to a larger community.

Ergonomics in Home Care

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (26) ◽  
pp. 275-275
Author(s):  
Rose-Ange Proteau
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Prevention Programs ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Average Work ◽  
Work Accidents ◽  
Home Care Workers

Home care workers are generally alone when they assist patients. They are often forced to work in uncomfortable and unsafe positions, because bathtubs and beds are too low. On average, work accidents involving workers in the home are more serious than those in institutions. In Quebec, (province in Eastern Canada), training and prevention programs have been implemented to improve these difficult working conditions in the past ten years.

scholarly journals Home care workers’ experiences of work conditions related to their occupational health: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunniva Grønoset Grasmo ◽  
Ingeborg Frostad Liaset ◽  
Skender Elez Redzovic
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
High Level ◽  
Home Care Workers ◽  
Policies And Practices

Abstract Background The need for home care workers (HCWs) is rapidly growing in Norway due to the increasingly growing elderly population. HCWs are exposed to a number of occupational hazards and physically demanding work tasks. Musculoskeletal disorders, stress, exhaustion, high sick leave rates and a high probability of being granted a disability pension are common challenges. This qualitative study explored the views of HCWs on how working conditions affect their safety, health, and wellbeing. Methods A descriptive and explorative design was utilised using semi-structured individual interviews with eight HCWs from three home care units in a middle-sized Norwegian city. Interviews were conducted in the Norwegian language, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed by systematic text condensation. Key data quotes were translated into English by the authors. Results HCWs reported that meaningful work-related interactions and relationships contributed to their improved wellbeing. Challenging interactions, such as verbal violence by consumers, were deemed stressful. The unpredictable work conditions HCWs encounter in users’ homes contributed to their exposure to environmental hazards and unhealthy physical workloads. This was the case, although the employer promoted ergonomic work practices such as ergonomic body mechanics when mobilising and handling of clients, using safe patient handling equipment. HCWs perceived high level of individual responsibility for complying with company safety policies and practices, representing a health barrier for some. Organisational frameworks created unhealthy work conditions by shift work, time pressure and staffing challenges. Performing tasks in accordance with HCWs professional skills and identity was perceived as health-promoting. Conclusions This study suggests that unpredictable working conditions at users’ home can adversely affect the safety, health, and wellbeing of HCWs. The interaction between the unpredictable environment at users’ homes, HCWs’ perceived high level of individual responsibility for complying with company safety policies and practices, and staffing challenges due to sickness-related absences upon the workplace creates tense work conditions with a negative influence on HCWs health.

scholarly journals Which factors are related to Finnish home care workers’ job satisfaction, stress, psychological distress and perceived quality of care? - a mixed method study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salla Ruotsalainen ◽  
Sami Jantunen ◽  
Timo Sinervo
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers

Abstract Background The desire to increase the role of home care in Finland has created problems in home care work. Working conditions have deteriorated, the quality of care experienced is low, and staff members suffer from time pressure and stress, amongst other things. The aim of this article is to explore the challenges, stressors, teamwork and management factors that are associated with home care staff members’ well-being, job satisfaction and experienced care quality, and further, how staff members experience their work. Methods A survey was sent to home care workers in two case organizations that participated in the study. In addition, semi-structured theme interviews with home care workers were conducted. The data from the survey was analysed using analysis of covariance, and interview data was analysed using the Grounded Theory-based method from Gioia et al. Results Respondents of the survey and the interview participants were mainly female practical nurses. The results from the survey showed, for example, that time pressure was associated with higher stress and psychological distress, and interruptions were associated with lower job satisfaction and higher stress. In addition, variables related to teamwork, such as participative safety, were shown to explain the variation in quality of care. The analysis of the interview data further brought up dissatisfaction with management practices, which seems to have led to a decrease in job satisfaction. Exhaustion and strain were present among staff members, which originated from an insufficient number of carers. Conclusions Current working conditions and work practices in Finnish home care are experienced stressful. The results from this study indicate that having more autonomy at work was associated with job satisfaction, according to both analyses. Team climate and idea implementation were related to quality of care. Therefore, increasing self-organizing team practices might be a possible development method for improving working conditions and staff members’ well-being. Implementing self-organizing team practices could possibly also attract employees to work in home care and prevent turnover.

The contribution of working conditions and care recipient characteristics to work-related abuse and exploitation of migrant home care workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 1001-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ohad Green ◽  
Liat Ayalon
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Initial Period ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers

Purpose Migrant home care workers constitute a vulnerable group in society, which is often exposed to work-related abuse. The purpose of this paper is to explore which characteristics are linked with their abuse. Design/methodology/approach Overall, 187 Filipino home care workers who work in Israel were recruited via snowball sampling and filled an anonymous questionnaire regarding work-related abuse incidents and working conditions. Findings More than half of the participants reported exposure to abuse (e.g. sexual, physical, or emotional) or exploitation (e.g. asking to do more than job requirements). Particularly vulnerable were migrant workers during their first year in the host country and those who were taking care of an older adult with cognitive impairment. Interestingly, men who served as care workers were more susceptible to abuse than women. Originality/value The findings point to specific characteristics which make home care workers more susceptible to abuse illustrate the need for a closer supervision on the working conditions of home care workers, especially during the initial period of their work. Training migrant home care workers in the area of dementia care is also important.

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