Awareness, Acceptance, Avoidance: Home Care Aides’ Approaches to Death and End-of-Life Care

Details

• Personal Author:
  Boerner K ; Franzosa E ; Gassama S ; LaMonica M ; Reckrey JM ; Tsui EK
• Description:
  Death and dying are woven throughout the work of home care aides, and yet the care they provide at the end of life (EOL) remains poorly understood. This is due in part to the multiple circumstances under which aides provide EOL care. In this paper, we elucidate the EOL care experiences of aides working in home care agencies in New York City. We conducted in-depth interviews with 29 home care aides, and we analyzed these data using inductive, team-based methods. Our findings show that aides may not be aware of or accept a client's EOL status, and they may avoid EOL care. These conditions shape EOL care, and we detail the committed forms of care aides provide when they are aware and accepting. We recommend improved training, support systems, and policy change to enhance aides' contributions to EOL care, while protecting aides' health and well-being. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Delivery Of Health Care Health Personnel Home Care Services Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Death Anxiety Death Education End-of-life Care Health Care Workers Home Care Aides Home Health Care Hospice Household Workers Medical Care Mental Health Well-being

  More +
• ISSN:
  0030-2228
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  89
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067942
• Citation:
  Omega 2024 Jun; 89(2):550-566
• Contact Point Address:
  Emma K. Tsui, Department of Community Health & Social Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, 55 W. 125th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10027, USA
• Email:
  emma.tsui@sph.cuny.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20190901
• Source Full Name:
  Omega: Journal of Death and Dying
• End Date:
  20220831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5e951b344287160cc652cdee9372ebafce115e7ea5c6015b1e46cc48c59a5af5f06d3265fe1f8ba3ca9621e1ae4c2a74b5de89dd5ed778f450a13ebfa9e4b235
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230175/cdc_230175_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 536.48 KB ]