The 24-Hour Workday for New York State Home Health Care Workers: Institutional Racism in Health Care Delivery

Abstract

Racism named as a public health issue largely focuses on those at the care-receiving end of health care. Home health care workers (HHCWs) are predominantly Black, immigrant, and women; in New York state it is illegal for HHCWs to work 24 consecutive hours, but homecare agencies assign HHCWs to 24-hour shifts and only pay for 13 hours of work. The demanding work of HHCWs increases their risk for and experiences of injury, depression, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular events. This manifestation of exploitation illustrates that racism affects health care workers as well as the public.