Occupational Safety and Health Hazards Among Homecare Aides

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bello A ; Brouillette N ; Davis, Letitia ; Galligan C ; Laramie A ; Markkanen, Pia ; Okyere D ; Quinn, Margaret M. ; Sama S
• Description:
  Background and Objectives. Homecare (HC) aides form a critical workforce providing care and independence for the nation's elders and people with disabilities. HC is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and HC aide is one of the fastest growing jobs. The objective of this study was to characterize qualitatively occupational safety and health (OSH) hazards, preventive interventions, and HC worker-client safety and health linkages across a spectrum of HC aide occupations. Methods. We conducted 12 focus groups among HC aides comprising in total 99 participants; 13 in-depth interviews with HC agency supervisors; and 5 in-depth interviews with HC clients. Focus group and interview transcripts were coded using NVivo software to analyze specific themes. Results. The most frequent OSH concerns were: back injuries from various client care tasks; verbal abuse; clients on oxygen addicted to smoking; exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other infectious diseases; long-distance driving; and psychosocial stress from low pay, lacking benefits, and feeling that society takes their work for granted. Ergonomic patient handling devices and mandatory in-service trainings were the most promising safety interventions, while incorporating HC workers' and clients' safety in home building design was identified as the most promising long-term intervention. Conclusions. The U.S. population is aging and the portion of the population that has traditionally performed HC is decreasing. A new, young workforce of HC aides is needed. Public policy interventions need to support HC work as a viable career choice. Improving OSH in HC is an important part of this effort. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Blood Blood-Borne Pathogens Health Personnel Hematologic Diseases Home Care Services Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Home Care Back Pain Bloodborne Pathogens Caregivers Health Care Workers Home Health Care Occupational Exposure Occupational Safety Patient Handling Questionnaires Surveillance

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• Publisher:
  American Public Health Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061352
• Citation:
  APHA 140th Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 27-31, 2012, San Francisco, California. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2012 Oct; :268591
• Contact Point Address:
  Pia Markkanen, ScD, Research Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Department of Work Environment, School of Health and Environment, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA, USA 01854
• Email:
  Pia_Markkanen@uml.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  Massachusetts State Department of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  APHA 140th Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 27-31, 2012, San Francisco, California
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e7aad9097cd0a484dedce0ed2e5e690fc6a417026ec98e17e9e98fb1ccf867979d2abc8b6b56b81c55b5fc21c9de749a1042669c23f2a522a704db27bbccca9c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224897/cdc_224897_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 171.95 KB ]