Effects of government policies on the work of home care personnel and their occupational health and safety

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Cloutier, Esther | David, Hélène | Ledoux, Élise | Bourdouxhe, Madeleine | Gagnon, Isabelle | Ouellet, François

Affiliations: IRSST, Montréal, Québec, Canada | GRASP, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Esther Cloutier, IRSST, 505 boulevard de Maisonneuve ouest, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 3C2. Tel.: +1 514 288 1551 poste 256; Fax: +1 514 288 6087; E-mail: Cloutier.esther@irsst.qc.ca

Abstract: The health sector in Québec (Canada) is dealing with profound macro-economic and macro-organizational changes. This article is interested in the impact of these changes on the work of home health aides (HHAs) and home care nurses and their occupational health and safety (OHS). The study was carried out in the home care services (HCS) of four local community service centres (CLSC) with different organizational characteristics. It is based on an analysis by triangulation of 66 individual and group interviews, 22 observed workdays and 35 observed multidisciplinary or professional meetings, as well as on administrative documents. HHAs are experiencing an erosion of their job because the relational and affective aspects of their work are disappearing. This may be due to an increase in their physical workload, leading to an increase in musculoskeletal problems and, to a lesser extent, in psychological health problems. Nurses are seeing an increase in the volume of invisible work that they have to do, which also has the effect of decreasing the relational aspects of their activity. The increasingly numerous psychological health problems are the consequence of this change in their profession. This study also shows that managers' decisions at the local level can reduce or increase the work constraints of HHAs and nurses. Examples of good practices for HHAs are the stabilization of clienteles and the possibility of organizing their itinerary, while for nurses, it is in how clientele follow-up tools are implemented. This article discusses the effects of government policies and decisions on the work and OHS of home care personnel. To address this subject, we use a specific analysis of the workload of home health aides (HHAs) and nurses. We will show the relationships between managers' organizational choices to respond to governmental constraints and the resulting work changes. We will also look at their consequences on occupational health and safety (OHS) and on the work of different personnel.

Keywords: Change in professions, intensification, nurses, home health aides, organizational factors, OHS

Journal: Work, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 389-402, 2008