“I Depend on Her for Everything”: A Retrospective Chart Review of Home Care Worker Service Disruptions for Homebound Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Home care workers played critical roles in meeting the complex medical and social needs of homebound adults during COVID-19, yet their contributions remain underappreciated. This study characterizes home care workers’ roles during COVID-19 and examines how home care disruptions impacted homebound individuals and caregivers. Using a qualitative analysis of electronic medical records among a randomly sampled subset of homebound patients in a home-based primary care practice, we found that home care workers were essential in meeting existing and new needs of homebound individuals. Insufficient home care worker services, including unstable schedules and inadequate hours of paid care, became particularly disruptive, leading to risks for patients and their caregivers. Given their integral role on care teams, home care workers must be a policy focus to prepare for emergent situations and ensure that homebound individuals have access to high quality, stable home care.

Home Care Worker Continuity in Home-Based Long-Term Care: Associated Factors and Relationships With Client Health and Well-Being

“…Existing evidence suggests that stability in caregiving relationships between home care workers and long-term care clients is highly valued by family members and is perceived to benefit clients ( Reckrey, Perez, et al, 2022 ). Conversely, unstable caregiving relationships due to sporadic home care and scheduling instability pose substantial medical, social, and safety risks ( Xu et al, 2022 ).…”