4 Tips to Help a Loved One Manage Stairs If a loved one has mobility issues, a flight of stairs can sometimes seem like an insurmountable obstacle. At the same time, being able to move freely and safely throughout the home is imperative for a loved one's independence. In addition, the social and emotional benefits of leaving the home from time to time should not be neglected just because a few stairs are in the way. Read more
Saving For Down Payments Are you tired of renting? Do your rent payments continue to get higher? Are you interested in purchasing your own home, but feel it’s too difficult to save up the money for a down payment? You are not alone. Many renters feel money is the top reason they haven’t been able to purchase a home yet. Read more
Personal Care Aides in Assisted Living and Similar Residential Care Communities An Overview From the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Faciliti The Problem: Personal care aides (PCAs), along with other direct care workers, provide the majority of hands-on care, including helping with activities of daily living (ADLs), for individuals living in assisted living facilities and similar residential care communities (RCCs); however, direct care workers in various long-term care settings have demonstrated that recruitment and retention is a great challenge because of low pay, inadequate training, high work demands, and lack of benefits. Residential care communities are increasingly becoming an important source of long-term care for older Americans, particularly for those with dementia. More than 95% of residential care communities had one or more personal care aide, yet little is known about personal care aides working in residential care communities. Read more
Examining Direct Service Worker Turnover in Three Long-Term Care Industries in Ohio This is the first study to examine direct service worker turnover and its predictors across three provider types: nursing homes, home health agencies, and providers of services for the developmentally disabled. Stratified random sampling procedures were used to select provider types across five geographic regions in Ohio. Data were collected from administrative staff. Findings indicated that annual direct service worker turnover did not significantly vary by provider type (mean = 33%). Predictors of turnover related to job burnout, negative social support, and region. Policymakers can promote practices to lower direct service worker turnover such as addressing burnout and increasing support. Read more
Training of Home Health Aides and Nurses Aides Findings From National Data Training and satisfaction with training were examined using data from nationally representative samples of 2,897 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) from the National Nursing Assistant Survey and 3,377 home health aides (HHAs) from the National Home Health Aide Survey conducted in 2004 and 2007, respectively. This article focuses on the commonalities and differences in the perceptions of CNAs and HHAs regarding the initial and continuing education they received to prepare them for their job. More than 80% of HHAs and all CNAs received some initial training. Of these, significantly more HHAs compared to CNAs felt that training had prepared them “very well” for their jobs. The two groups also differed in their assessments of the content of the initial training; for example, more CNAs believed that their training was “excellent” in helping them address patients’ limitations in activities of daily living compared to HHAs. The vast majority of HHAs and CNAs received continuing education, and about three fourths in each group assessed this training as being “very useful.” In light of the increasing demands for HHAs and CNAs with the aging of America, findings from these national studies could be used to inform educational and training initiatives for this critical workforce. Read more
The Experience of Long-Term Care Organizations in Seven States with Older Workers, Volunteers and Participants from the Senior Community Service and E Read more
Racism Reported By Direct Care Workers in Long-Term Care Settings This article focuses on reports of racism experienced by direct care workers (DCWs). These DCWs provide the majority of hands-on care to older residents/ clients that need help with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing in long-term care (LTC) settings. Interviews were conducted with 644 DCWs working in three types of LTC settings. Proportionate random sampling techniques were used to select 49 LTC agencies from a five-county area in northeast Ohio. The DCWs included nurse assistants in nursing homes, resident assistants in assisted living facilities, and home care aides in home health agencies. Analyses reported include frequencies, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance. Hearing racial and ethnic remarks, particularly from residents/clients, was widely reported by DCWs. Despite this, DCWs were likely to believe that remarks from residents/clients were not intended to hurt their feelings. Although DCWs heard fewer racial/ethnic remarks from family members or other staff, they were likely to believe that such remarks were intended to hurt their feelings. At the organizational level, DCW reports of hearing racial/ethnic remarks in nursing homes were more frequent than those in other LTC settings. Further, DCWs in organizations in which racial differences between them and the residents/clients that they served was very large reported hearing significantly more racial/ethnic remarks. These findings have important implications for addressing racism in LTC agencies with anti-discrimination policies and programs. Read more
Strengthening the Direct Care Workforce Preliminary Recommendations from a National Panel of Experts in Long-Term Care Read more
Factors Affecting Frontline Workers’ Satisfaction with Supervision Objective: This research was guided by a stress and support model to examine the effects of frontline workers’ background characteristics, personal stressors, job-related stressors, and workplace support on satisfaction with supervision. Methods: Survey data were collected from 644 workers in 49 long-term–care settings that employed them. Regression analysis were used to determine the effects of worker level and then Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) and organizational factors on the outcome. Results: Although all four variable categories made significant contributions to explaining satisfaction with supervision, the most powerful were personal stressors and job-related stressors. Results from HLM analysis showed frontline workers in nursing homes and those employed in for-profit organizations had lower levels of satisfaction with supervision. Discussion: Findings suggest organizational interventions to address workers’ financial and health issues and management practices such as better training programs and peer mentoring could enhance workers’ satisfaction with supervision. Read more
