The effectiveness of homemaker--home health aides.

The results of this study indicate that H/HHAs possess a wide array of objectives when working with clients. They are also perceived to be very effective in improving the quantity and quality of home care for their clients. This improved home care means clients are left alone less of ten and also receive meals with greater regularity. The clients perceive the H/HHAs as having many roles simultaneously, and they are viewed more as professional people than servants (the professional roles correlate highly with adequacy of client service). Based on the perceptions of the clients samples, social workers can utilize confidently the services of H/HHAs in an interdisciplinary approach to practice. It is hoped that this study will encourage social workers to utilize the services of the H/HHAs more appropriately, efficiently, effectively, and confidently when working with clients who may need these services. The authors suggest that future research should focus on the H/HHAs themselves, in areas such as their job descriptions and their job satisfactions and dissatisfactions, as well as how they and other professionals perceive their effectiveness.