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Exploring Local Initiatives to Improve the Work Environment : A Qualitative Survey in Swedish Home Care Practice

Rydenfält, Christofer LU ; Persson, Roger LU orcid ; Arvidsson, Inger LU ; Holgersson, Charlotte ; Johansson, Gerd LU ; Östlund, Britt LU and Persson, Johanna LU (2021) In Home Health Care Management and Practice 3(3). p.154-161
Abstract

Home care for the elderly constitutes a large and growing part of the social welfare system. Though, home care work is associated with a number of work environment-related challenges, including an increased risk for injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, high levels of sick leave and staff turnover, as well as stress and high workload, research is sparse. The present study explores local initiatives to improve the work environment initiated by the home care organizations themselves, and asks whether or not these initiatives affected gender equality. A qualitative web survey was sent to Swedish home care organizations, with open questions about change initiatives intended to have a positive effect on the work environment. There is an... (More)

Home care for the elderly constitutes a large and growing part of the social welfare system. Though, home care work is associated with a number of work environment-related challenges, including an increased risk for injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, high levels of sick leave and staff turnover, as well as stress and high workload, research is sparse. The present study explores local initiatives to improve the work environment initiated by the home care organizations themselves, and asks whether or not these initiatives affected gender equality. A qualitative web survey was sent to Swedish home care organizations, with open questions about change initiatives intended to have a positive effect on the work environment. There is an impressive amount of local work environment-related change initiatives going on. 80 categories of change initiatives were identified in answers from 178 units. However, these change initiatives were seldom evaluated or made accessible to stakeholders outside the organization. Main themes were concerned with work organization, digitalization, and planning, which largely follows trends in society (ie, digitalization, teamwork), rather than the actual needs identified by research (eg, musculoskeletal disorders). Despite apparent gender-related challenges, little of the work was associated with gender equality. The results indicates that there is a huge learning potential as the identified initiatives can serve as inspiration for others. However, to fully take advantage of these type of initiatives, more systematic evaluations are required.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
digitalization, gender, home care, improvement, innovation, teamwork, work environment
in
Home Health Care Management and Practice
volume
3
issue
3
pages
8 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85099307060
ISSN
1084-8223
DOI
10.1177/1084822320986933
project
Att skapa en bättre arbetsmiljö i hemtjänsten - participativt förändringsarbete i praktiken.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e33c83cc-c06a-496c-bc2b-07e24ea726ce
date added to LUP
2021-01-25 11:34:54
date last changed
2022-04-26 23:56:03
@article{e33c83cc-c06a-496c-bc2b-07e24ea726ce,
  abstract     = {{<p>Home care for the elderly constitutes a large and growing part of the social welfare system. Though, home care work is associated with a number of work environment-related challenges, including an increased risk for injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, high levels of sick leave and staff turnover, as well as stress and high workload, research is sparse. The present study explores local initiatives to improve the work environment initiated by the home care organizations themselves, and asks whether or not these initiatives affected gender equality. A qualitative web survey was sent to Swedish home care organizations, with open questions about change initiatives intended to have a positive effect on the work environment. There is an impressive amount of local work environment-related change initiatives going on. 80 categories of change initiatives were identified in answers from 178 units. However, these change initiatives were seldom evaluated or made accessible to stakeholders outside the organization. Main themes were concerned with work organization, digitalization, and planning, which largely follows trends in society (ie, digitalization, teamwork), rather than the actual needs identified by research (eg, musculoskeletal disorders). Despite apparent gender-related challenges, little of the work was associated with gender equality. The results indicates that there is a huge learning potential as the identified initiatives can serve as inspiration for others. However, to fully take advantage of these type of initiatives, more systematic evaluations are required.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rydenfält, Christofer and Persson, Roger and Arvidsson, Inger and Holgersson, Charlotte and Johansson, Gerd and Östlund, Britt and Persson, Johanna}},
  issn         = {{1084-8223}},
  keywords     = {{digitalization; gender; home care; improvement; innovation; teamwork; work environment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{154--161}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Home Health Care Management and Practice}},
  title        = {{Exploring Local Initiatives to Improve the Work Environment : A Qualitative Survey in Swedish Home Care Practice}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1084822320986933}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1084822320986933}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}