Partnership to Improve Workplace Safety for In-Home Care Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anger KW ; Campbell JC ; Glass N ; Grzybowski J ; Johnson SK ; Moss H ; Perrin Na ; Rohlman D ; Rose LE ; Weinstein M
• Description:
  Consumer-driven homecare models which support aging and disabled individuals as they continue to live independently in their homes through the services of homecare workers are becoming more popular. These models increase the consumer's autonomy and control over services. Yet there is concern that these models may increase homecare workers exposure to workplace violence and harassment. The aims of this grant were to: 1) determine the prevalence of and risk factors for workplace violence and harassment; 2) develop workplace training to address workplace violence and harassment; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Our first study used qualitative interviews with 83 homecare workers, 99 Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) employees, and 11 consumer employers to understand the risk factors for workplace violence. Three themes related to risk of workplace violence were identified: 1) tolerance of violence; 2) barriers to reporting violence; and 3) limited training to prevent violence. In our second study, 1214 homecare workers completed a survey about their exposure to workplace violence and harassment over the previous year, their confidence to prevent and respond to workplace violence, and other work and health outcomes. Collapsing across all categories (i.e., verbal aggression, workplace aggression, workplace violence, sexual harassment and sexual aggression) 61.3% of homecare workers experienced at least one of these act of workplace violence or harassment in the last year. These results were used to develop a training for homecare workers on preventing and responding to workplace violence and harassment. In the final study to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, 316 home care workers were randomized to participate in either 1) computer based training (CBT only); or 2) computer based training with peer facilitation (CBT + peer). Participants were surveyed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. All participants increased in knowledge and confidence to prevent and respond to workplace violence and harassment over time. In addition, all participants reported a reduction in incidence of workplace violence and harassment overtime. The CBT+peer group reported a greater increase in confidence to prevent and respond to some forms of workplace violence (i.e. verbal aggression and workplace violence) that the CBT only group. This differential increase in confidence was most pronounced from baseline to 3 months but became more similar 6-months. There was a significant difference in the pattern of change over time between groups in workplace aggression with the CBT+peer group showing a greater decrease from baseline to 3 months, but the CBT only group showing a greater decrease from 3 months to 6 months. These findings contribute to other evidence that homecare workers are at a high risk of occupational exposures to violence and harassment. Training either through CBT only or CBT+peer is an effective approach to reducing homecare workers exposure to workplace violence and harassment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Health Personnel Men Mental Health Occupational Health Preventive Medicine Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Staff Development Stress, Psychological Violence Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Exposure-levels Force Health-care-personnel Humans Medical-personnel Models Physical-reactions Physiology Preventive-medicine Psychological-stress Psychology Risk-factors Training Violence-prevention Work-environment Workers

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• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Iowa ; Maryland ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-13
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046672
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2016-100066
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R01-OH-009080, 2015 Feb; :1-13
• Contact Point Address:
  Nancy Glass, Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
• Email:
  nglass1@jhu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20080901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20140831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:715e9671253d44350bfc1436dc110e57922c22181822e2548dcf69c5b07badf89234151d479566e4c0fd693a1a0a15fb6417d0602c9cbf22d6ec4345b971b4af
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218605/cdc_218605_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 467.09 KB ]