Building Stronger Support Systems with Technology for Home Care Workers to Improve Working Conditions
We have expressed our gratitude for the hard work and dedication of home care aides, direct care workers, and personal care attendants alike in previous writings, and we are cognizant and troubled about the dire outlook that field of employment faces with turnovers and shortages. Moreover, as we have stated many times, the focus on Electronic Visit Verification, forming associations about Electronic Visit Verification, and reliance on EVV-only software de-humanizes workers, clients, and limits the potential of home care technology.
Without home care aides, certain home care software platforms would not exist, especially EVV. One peril of home care technology is the tendency to forget that workers undergo stress, undesirable working conditions, and harassment. Communication between worker and boss, in this case the home care aide and the agency, is necessary due to the high turnover rates among home care workers; moreover, possible lack of support deserves extra attention due to effects the abuse and toxic environment may have on workers.
Excuse my lengthy, but poignant excerpt by Miriam Ryvicker’s recent article entitled “An International Perspective on Improving Occupational Conditions for Direct Care Workers in Home Health,” from the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research:
“Home care workers do not have the same level of protections by workplace safety policies such as those implemented in hospitals and nursing homes. A study of 1249 home care aides in the US found that 7% of the sample experienced physical violence on the job, while 19% were victims of verbal violence, including being yelled at, threatened, and subjected to racist language. Another US study found that 20% of home care aides experienced some form of abuse on behalf of clients or clients’ families – including verbal abuse, prejudicial comments, or witnessing elder abuse or neglect.”
The numbers, and the home care aides behind them, should be addressed. The home care industry will suffer more if support and solutions to such issues are ignored. To retain home care workers, and provide favorable working conditions, it seems plausible to utilize home care technology to bridge the communication gap. Home care workers/personal care assistants may not speak to each other or communicate with their offices daily/weekly when much needed support is crucial. However, because they are surrounded by technology daily, it can be a tool to open the door to a room of supporters.
To quote Ryvicker once again:
“Advancements in communication technology offer a potential opportunity to better connect home care workers to a support system. Establishing such a support system would call for both structural and cultural shifts in the home care industry to raise awareness and provide practical solutions to improve the occupational health and safety of home care workers both locally and globally.”
Of course, a lot needs to be done with home care technology to better involve workers’ reflections and concerns while in the field. Maybe there should be a technology mandate for monitoring home care workers’ safety and well-being? Maybe there should be EWSS technology – Electronic Worker Support System in home care software platforms? Unfortunately, society is moving away from face-to-face meetings where support systems have a chance to flourish, but that does not mean that support is unable to exist. Once the perfect harmony between home care technology and home care workers is created, a safe and supportive network for home care aides, personal care assistants, and home care nurses will have long-lasting, positive results.
About Sinq Technologies
Sinq's collaborative software technology platform was built with purpose in mind. Sinq's Care Plan Transparency, Care Gap Management, EVV / EvS, and Change in Care Monitoring makes Sinq's software stand out within the industry, and with Payors, Providers, and Plans. We can help you become compliant, but our expansive software offers long-term solutions for the betterment of your agency and clients.
Call today for more information, a free demo, or a consultation at 847-325-5007, or talk directly to Matt at 630-596-6721, email Matt at mtipples@sinq.io, or visit us at http://www.sinq.io/
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