Becoming a Home Care Worker: Job-Seekers’ Push and Pull Factors

Abstract

This study examined “push and pull” factors associated with the decision to become home care workers among job-seekers in Israel. Participants completed measures of ageism, anxiety about aging, attitudes toward the home care profession, and personal relationship with older adults. Of 1,492 participants, 32.0% accepted the offer to become home care workers and were no longer in the job market, 36.7% accepted the offer but worked in the past, and 31.2% refused the offer. Compared to participants currently employed, the odds of being employed in the past were higher for participants who were younger, with poorer health and higher ageism; the odds of refusal were higher for males, Arabs, younger participants, with more education, lower ageism, and fewer personal relationship with older adults. The findings have implications for practice with job-seekers and for retaining current home care workers in the field. This may assist in expanding the home care workforce.

Social care causes of delayed transfer of care (DTOC) from hospital for older people: Unpicking the nuances of ‘provider capacity’ and ‘patient choice’

“…Studies identifying issues with homecare provision often neglect to set out precisely what the nature of these problems are (Bragstad et al, 2012 ; Bryan, 2010 ; Hendy et al, 2012 ). Workforce instability is one factor known to affect care supply internationally, with low pay and low status making the care sector an unattractive employer, especially in higher‐income countries (Shinan‐Altman et al, 2020 ; Stone, 2017 ). In England, local authorities have a responsibility to work with local providers to develop a shared understanding of current and future social care needs and ensure these can be met (Local Government Association, 2018 ), but the stakeholders we spoke to identified mismatched supply and demand linked to problems recruiting and retaining care workers in the places and at the times they were required.…”

The disruption of the care chain: why do Lithuanian migrant home care workers return to their home country?

“…It also is important to acknowledge the fact that in the present study care was provided to older people. Thus, stereotypes of older people might play a role in the wish to perform the job (Shinan-Altman et al ., 2020) and eventually return to one's home country. Viewing older care recipients as ‘old bags’, as mentioned by the least educated respondent, certainly does not add much appeal to the job and might make the emotional work even harder (Hochschild, 2012).…”

Comparison of Japanese Nurses' and Care Workers' Scores on the Dialogue Preference Scales for Elderly (DPSE)

“…In contrast, Shimizu [10] found that the more familiar caregivers are with older people, the more ageism they have. In fact, it has been reported that those who want to care for older people are more ageist [13]. While care workers in Japan may be familiar with older people, they need to learn if they have ageism and, if so, how it can compromise older people's health.…”