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An exploration of the roles, responsibilities and services provided by home care workers: a grounded theory study

Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

Background: Worldwide demographic trends resulting in an ageing population provide significant challenges for the provision of effective and responsive models of Health and Social Care (HSC). The impetus for evaluation and analyses of existent models of such provision are essential to transform practice, to ensure they are fit for purpose and fit for practice. Moreover the must be responsive to the evolving and changing societal and health care demands, particularly for the older person. There is little known about the role the home care worker (HCW) fulfils within such HSC provision.

The Study: This two-phase study was conducted with HCW’s. Phase 1, a qualitative phase, utilised a grounded theory approach. This concluded with the emergence of the core category and informed development of a survey instrument, a questionnaire, for the quantitative phase of the study, Phase 2. These interconnected phases demonstrate movement from inductive to deductive processes with the further testing by questionnaire of major categories with a wider population sample of HCW’s.

Findings: The location of care delivery emerged early as an important factor for care provision and other emergent categories highlighted further this significance. Within the performance of role, HCW’s could identify characteristics aligned with the importance of their role and demonstrated cognisance of challenges and conflicts with role performance. Core characteristics of their caring role emerged which underpinned the interconnection and intrinsic nature of their caring and the care giving relationship. The core category ‘Disconnect between the perceived centrality of the role of the HCW and the lack of recognition within the wider health and social care community’, underpinned the HCW roles and responsibilities.

Conclusion: A lack of significance for the importance of the role of the HCW demonstrates the essential nature for more effective integration of this professional role within the wider health and social care professional groups.
Date of AwardSept 2013
Original languageEnglish
SupervisorAssumpta Ryan (Supervisor) & JRP Boore (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • home care workers
  • home helps
  • domiciliary care
  • older persons
  • grounded theory
  • home care

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