scholarly journals Patterns and predictors of sick leave among Swedish non-hospitalized healthcare and residential care workers with Covid-19 during the early phase of the pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260652
Author(s):  
Marta A. Kisiel ◽  
Tobias Nordqvist ◽  
Gabriel Westman ◽  
Magnus Svartengren ◽  
Andrei Malinovschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sick Leave ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Staff Shortage ◽  
Care Workers

Healthcare and residential care workers represent two occupational groups that have, in particular, been at risk of Covid-19, its long-term consequences, and related sick leave. In this study, we investigated the predictors of prolonged sick leave among healthcare and residential workers due to non-hospitalized Covid-19 in the early period of the pandemic. This study is based on a patient register (n = 3209) and included non-hospitalized healthcare or residential care service workers with a positive RT- PCR for SARS-CoV-2 (n = 433) between March and August 2020. Data such as socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, and the length of sick leave because of Covid-19 and prior to the pandemic were extracted from the patient’s electronic health records. Prolonged sick leave was defined as sick leave ≥ 3 weeks, based on the Swedish pandemic policy. A generalized linear model was used with a binary distribution, adjusted for age, gender, and comorbidity in order to predict prolonged sick leave. Of 433 (77% women) healthcare and residential care workers included in this study, 14.8% needed longer sick leave (> 3 weeks) due to Covid-19. Only 1.4% of the subjects were on sick leave because of long Covid. The risk of sick leave was increased two-fold among residential care workers (adjusted RR 2.14 [95% CI 1.31–3.51]). Depression/anxiety (adjusted RR 2.09 [95% CI 1.31–3.34]), obesity (adjusted RR 1.96 [95% CI 1.01–3.81]) and dyspnea at symptom onset (adjusted RR 2.47 [95% CI 1.55–3.92]), sick leave prior to the pandemic (3–12 weeks) (adjusted RR 2.23 [95% CI 1.21–4.10]) were associated with longer sick leave. From a public health perspective, considering occupational category, comorbidity, symptoms at onset, and sick leave prior to the pandemic as potential predictors of sick leave in healthcare may help prevent staff shortage.

scholarly journals Harrowing Blindness and Ocular Morbidity in a Himalayan Village

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 582-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrit Pokharel ◽  
Himal Kandel ◽  
Reshma Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Primary Eye Care ◽  
Eye Health ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Ocular Morbidity

To address this terrible situation, we propose the following solutions: in the short term, conduct regular eye health camps with appropriate management locally. In the long term, to strengthen primary eye care and integrate it into general health, by training primary health care workers in primary eye care (more specifically assessing visual acuity) establishing adequate referral channels. Currently, unfortunately, much of eye care service delivery remains centered on the district headquarters and accessible places, with other remote regions left unattended. We hope our report will awaken all concerned to the dire need for equitable eye care across the country.

Problems encountered by elders in residential care services in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gigi Lam
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Homes For The Elderly

PurposeHong Kong implements a policy for the aging population involving the core themes of “aging in place as the core,” “institutional care as backup” and “continuum of care.” Encouraging elders to live independently at home is a top priority, and elders who are not able to live at home independently are provided with various residential care services, namely Hostels for the Elderly, Homes for the Aged, Care and Attention (C&A) Homes for the Elderly and Nursing Homes (NHs). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the adoption of the publicly funded model of providing residential care services of elderly in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyzes the current conundrum encountered by elders in residential care services and makes recommendations. A comprehensive literature review was conducted covering relevant government reports, academics' journal papers and nongovernmental organizations’ reports concerning residential care service of elderly from 1965 to present.FindingsSubsidized residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) clearly outperform private RCHEs in terms of space and staff provisions, but the supply of subsidized RCHEs cannot meet the demand. Hence, between 2007 and 2018, the average waiting time was 33 months for NHs and that for C&A homes was 23 months. Several viable measures to meet the demand are purchasing Enhanced Bought Place Schemes (EBPSs) from private RCHEs, subsidizing elders who opt for living in private RCHEs by providing them with Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and residential care service voucher (RCSV) and subsidizing elderly applicants who opt for living in RCHEs in Guangdong. However, these viable measures are problematic because of the inadequate quality of EBPSs and private RCHEs, which is attributed to the costing arrangement of public and private RCHEs that were established in the colonial period. The brief history of RCHEs also indicates a deviation from the original policy aim, namely aging in place, which was introduced in the Green Paper on Services for the Elderly in 1977.Practical implicationsThe supply and quality of community and home care services should be thoroughly examined; effective community and home care services can prevent and even delay unnecessary institutionalization. Another complementary solution is to devise a long-term plan for residential care services. To address disparities in quality standards in different RCHEs, adopting the combination of punitive and compliance models such as conducting frequent inspections and implementing an accreditation system for private RCHEs is imperative.Originality/valueAlthough the principle of “aging in place” originated in 1977, the institutionalization rate 6.8% of elders was unexpectedly high in Hong Kong and even surpassed the Asian counterparts. It necessities to rethink how to implement policy concerning long-term care services of elders.

Public Sector Workplace Expansion and Long Term Sick Leave

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Westerlund ◽  
J. Ferrie ◽  
J. Hagberg ◽  
K. Jeding ◽  
G. Oxenstierna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Sick Leave
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