System Level Supports and Barriers Home Care Workers Face During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Description:
Home care workers (HCWs) are integral to in-home care for more than 7 million older adults and people with chronic conditions and disabilities, often providing life-sustaining services. Despite their important role, HCW turnover is high due to stressful workloads, low pay, lack of benefits, and inadequate working conditions. These challenges were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic in part due to limited and inconsistent system-level supports such as access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 specific training. This study will explore system-level barriers and priorities for improvement that can help strengthen the home care workforce as the pandemic evolves.
Lead Researcher: Danbi Lee, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
Contact Info: danbilee@uw.edu
Funder:
HRSA: HWRC Allied Health
Status:
In Progress