Perceptions of health and risk management among home care workers in Sweden

• 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 prioritymaking 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 organisation. 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. Difficulties in performing risk assessments and to follow 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 organisations.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Sjukgymnastik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Physiotherapy (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Sjukgymnastik

Physiotherapy

Accounting and Control

Redovisning och styrning

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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