Home Care Aide Safety Concerns and Job Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
New Solut
; 31(1): 20-29, 2021 05.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1067101
ABSTRACT
Home care aides are on the frontlines providing care to vulnerable individuals in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic yet are often excluded from policies to protect health care workers. The goal of this study was to examine experiences of agency-employed home care aides during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify ways to mitigate concerns. We used an innovative journaling approach with thirty-seven aides as well as in-depth interviews with fifteen aides and leadership representatives from nine home health agencies in New York and Michigan. Workers described a range of concerns around workplace safety including uncertainty around whether a client had COVID-19, inadequate access to personal protective equipment and safe transportation, as well as fundamental changes to interactions with clients. Agencies also faced challenges acquiring personal protective equipment for their aides. This research points to needed resources to support home care aides and home health agencies both during a public health crisis and in the future.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Home Health Aides
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
New Solut
Journal subject:
Occupational Medicine
/
Environmental Health
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
1048291120987845
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