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. 2023 Apr;42(4):704-716.
doi: 10.1177/07334648221130747. Epub 2022 Oct 24.

The Hidden Script of Work-Related Burdens in Home Care - A Cross Over Mixed Analysis of Audio Diaries

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The Hidden Script of Work-Related Burdens in Home Care - A Cross Over Mixed Analysis of Audio Diaries

Doris Gebhard et al. J Appl Gerontol. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

The lived experiences of work-related burdens in the daily working routines of home care workers are insufficiently investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the types, frequencies, and distributions of work-related burdens and to explore their co-occurrence. Qualitative data was collected via audio diaries and analyzed applying a crossover mixed analysis using content as well as network analysis. In all, 23 home care workers (mean age = 46.70 ± 10.40; 91.30% female) produced 242 diary entries. Participants reported work-related burdens 580 times with 77 different types, predominately in relation to work organization (50.5%). Network analysis reveals a complex picture, which shows the strong relation between time pressure and travel between homes, and identifies additional tasks as the central node in the network of burdens. A holistic understanding of setting-specific burdens provides an important starting point for measures of workplace health promotion.

Keywords: caregiving; health; home care; mixed methods; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Analysis process.
Figure
2.
Figure 2.
Distribution and frequencies of burdens.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Distribution and frequencies of work organization.
Figure
4.
Figure 4.
Distribution and frequencies of work content.
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5.
Figure 5.
Distribution and frequencies of work environment.
Figure
6.
Figure 6.
Distribution and frequencies of social relationships.
Figure
7.
Figure 7.
Distribution and frequencies of physical strain.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Network of burdens related to strain symptoms.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Network of burdens related to time pressure and travel between homes.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
Network of burdens related to additional tasks and the mismatch of allocated and required time.

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