Perceptions of health and risk management among home care workers in Sweden
(2013) In Physical Therapy Reviews 18(5). p.336-343- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Municipal home care workers provide high-quality services to an increasing proportion of elderly people living in private homes. The work environments and working conditions of these workers vary to a great extent, implying rapid priority-making among both employers and employees to ensure that the work can be performed in a safe way.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine home care workers' perceptions of health, risks, working conditions, and risk management within their organization.
METHOD: The study was based on cross-sectional data collected from home care service staff in a municipality in the north of Sweden. Nursing assistants and care aides (n = 133) replied to a self-administered questionnaire.... (More)
BACKGROUND: Municipal home care workers provide high-quality services to an increasing proportion of elderly people living in private homes. The work environments and working conditions of these workers vary to a great extent, implying rapid priority-making among both employers and employees to ensure that the work can be performed in a safe way.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine home care workers' perceptions of health, risks, working conditions, and risk management within their organization.
METHOD: The study was based on cross-sectional data collected from home care service staff in a municipality in the north of Sweden. Nursing assistants and care aides (n = 133) replied to a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and between-group differences were analysed.
RESULTS: Home care work was perceived to require high levels of professional skill and ingenuity, a good psychosocial work situation, but required a high physical workload. The general health, the capacity and self-efficacy of the staff in relation to work were good. Difficulty in performing risk assessments and following safety regulations due to lack of time, equipment, and information were identified.
CONCLUSION: There is a need to increase participation in risk assessments among the staff, improve management support, structures, and cooperation with other divisions of the social services and the medical care organizations.
(Less)
- author
- Larsson, A ; Karlqvist, L ; Westerberg, M and Gard, G LU
- publishing date
- 2013-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- in
- Physical Therapy Reviews
- volume
- 18
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 8 pages
- publisher
- Maney Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:24078781
- scopus:84952764140
- ISSN
- 1083-3196
- DOI
- 10.1179/108331913X13746741513153
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 8decfa6a-789f-4e07-ba96-f02db8d76948
- date added to LUP
- 2016-12-19 13:34:12
- date last changed
- 2024-01-04 19:12:33
@article{8decfa6a-789f-4e07-ba96-f02db8d76948,
abstract = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Municipal home care workers provide high-quality services to an increasing proportion of elderly people living in private homes. The work environments and working conditions of these workers vary to a great extent, implying rapid priority-making among both employers and employees to ensure that the work can be performed in a safe way.</p><p>OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine home care workers' perceptions of health, risks, working conditions, and risk management within their organization.</p><p>METHOD: The study was based on cross-sectional data collected from home care service staff in a municipality in the north of Sweden. Nursing assistants and care aides (n = 133) replied to a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and between-group differences were analysed.</p><p>RESULTS: Home care work was perceived to require high levels of professional skill and ingenuity, a good psychosocial work situation, but required a high physical workload. The general health, the capacity and self-efficacy of the staff in relation to work were good. Difficulty in performing risk assessments and following safety regulations due to lack of time, equipment, and information were identified.</p><p>CONCLUSION: There is a need to increase participation in risk assessments among the staff, improve management support, structures, and cooperation with other divisions of the social services and the medical care organizations.</p>}},
author = {{Larsson, A and Karlqvist, L and Westerberg, M and Gard, G}},
issn = {{1083-3196}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{336--343}},
publisher = {{Maney Publishing}},
series = {{Physical Therapy Reviews}},
title = {{Perceptions of health and risk management among home care workers in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/108331913X13746741513153}},
doi = {{10.1179/108331913X13746741513153}},
volume = {{18}},
year = {{2013}},
}