Hayashi R, Gibson J W, Weatherley R A
University of Washington School of Social Work.
Home Health Care Serv Q. 1994;14(4):37-48. doi: 10.1300/J027v14n04_04.
Home care services make it possible for millions of older Americans to continue living in the community. Such services may enhance the recipients' quality of life while providing essential respite to family caregivers. But while there has been increasing recognition of the burden borne by the predominantly female family caregivers, there has been less attention to the plight of the home care workforce. With the growth of the home care industry, the burden of care has to some extent shifted from one category of female caregivers to another. This paper, based on a survey of 16 agencies and 1,900 workers, examines the employment conditions of home care workers in Washington state. The study reveals a pattern of harsh working conditions, low wages, and few benefits. The findings raise questions about the ethics and efficacy of government policies that are based on the exploitation of home care workers.
居家护理服务让数百万美国老年人能够继续在社区生活。这类服务可以提高接受者的生活质量，同时为家庭护理人员提供必要的喘息机会。然而，尽管人们越来越认识到主要由女性组成的家庭护理人员所承担的负担，但对居家护理工作人员的困境却关注较少。随着居家护理行业的发展，护理负担在一定程度上从一类女性护理人员转移到了另一类。本文基于对16家机构和1900名工作人员的调查，研究了华盛顿州居家护理工作人员的就业状况。研究揭示了恶劣的工作条件、低工资和福利微薄的情况。这些发现引发了对基于剥削居家护理工作人员的政府政策的伦理和效力的质疑。
