Home-Care Workers: Work Conditions and Occupational Exclusion: A Comparison Between Carers on Early-Retirement and Regular Pensions

• Published in: Home health care services quarterly Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 71 - 91
• Main Authors: Aronsson, Gunnar, Astvik, Wanja, Thulin, Ann-Britt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 05-10-1998
• Subjects: Caregivers - classification; Caregivers - statistics & numerical data; Disabled Persons; Discriminant Analysis; Health administration; Health Services Research; Home Care Services - manpower; Home Health Aides - psychology; Humans; Occupational Health; Pensions; Retirement; Sick Leave; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden; Sweden
• ISSN: 0162-1424; 1545-0856
• DOI: 10.1300/J027v17n02_05

The aim of the study was to identify conditions associated with occupational exclusion from home-caring. In a group of 346 home-care workers who responded to a questionnaire, there were 18 newly-retired carers on early-retirement/disability pensions, and 28 carers who had just taken regular retirement. A discriminant analysis was conducted to identify work conditions that differentiated the two groups. The results show that a combination of variables-functional impairment (pain when doing physical work), psychosomatic complaints, and nature of relationship with/attitude to clients-significantly differentiated the two groups. When the discriminant coefficients were applied to other groups-older full-time and part-time employees (n = 224), carers who had undergone job transfers, and carers on long-term sick leave-the order of groups by discriminant-point score was largely as expected. The results are discussed in relation to dilemmas, psychological demands and organizational circumstances prevailing in home-care work.