Utilization, Contributions, and Perceptions of Paid Home Care Workers Among Households in New York State

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While family caregivers have traditionally provided care for older adults with chronic conditions and disabilities, the demand for paid home care workers has increased in the last decade. Although typically thought to assist with personal care, emerging data suggest that paid home care workers assist with a wider scope of care. However, the extent and quality of the care they deliver remains poorly understood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using the Empire State Poll, a telephone-based cross-sectional survey of 800 adults in New York State, we characterized the types of care that paid home care workers provided and the perceived value of that care. RESULTS: Of 800 participants surveyed, 274 reported that they or an immediate family member received care from a paid home care worker (34.3%). Of these, the majority (73.9%) reported that paid home care workers provided emotional and/or medical care, in addition to personal care. In adjusted models, providing emotional and medical care (compared to personal care alone) was associated with nearly a twofold greater perception of importance and experience by the care recipients. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings provide additional data on how paid home care workers contribute to patient care, from the perspective of the care recipient(s). The type of care provided is associated with varying magnitudes of perceived quality. Although limited to New York, these findings have implications for paid home care workers’ training and compensation. Future studies are warranted to investigate the specific factors that mediate the association between types of care provided and their perceived value.