Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States
Background: Increasing demands for home care staff has been triggered in the past decades by shorter hospital length of stay, and a shift of responsibility for complex care regimens to private households. Therefore, an innovative model to employ family caregivers in home care agencies is expanding i...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Public Health Reviews |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605849/full |
| _version_ | 1827643082208706560 |
|---|---|
| author | Iren Bischofberger Mary Jo Vetter |
| author_facet | Iren Bischofberger Mary Jo Vetter |
| author_sort | Iren Bischofberger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Increasing demands for home care staff has been triggered in the past decades by shorter hospital length of stay, and a shift of responsibility for complex care regimens to private households. Therefore, an innovative model to employ family caregivers in home care agencies is expanding in Switzerland and the United States. This policy brief aims to identify core characteristics of the model and analyze its potential benefits and challenges.Evidence: The model is expanding based on legal ground but without the requisite scientific evidence. After an initial patient assessment by a registered nurse, and assigned hands-on tasks to family caregivers, the salary is derived from payer reimbursement.Policy Options and Recommendations: Standards need to be in place to determine the family caregivers qualification that are specific to the client situation of all age groups. Supervision of quality of care, labor law, and blurred roles of biographical relationships remains at the responsibility of the home care agency.Conclusion: Further research for the data-driven exploration of the model is needed to inform the many stakeholders involved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:44:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8777a247cd3b4009aad8b0695ca5ca83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2107-6952 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:44:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Reviews |
| spelling | doaj.art-8777a247cd3b4009aad8b0695ca5ca832023-11-24T11:15:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Public Health Reviews2107-69522023-11-014410.3389/phrs.2023.16058491605849Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United StatesIren Bischofberger0Mary Jo Vetter1Institute of Nursing Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaRory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York City, NY, United StatesBackground: Increasing demands for home care staff has been triggered in the past decades by shorter hospital length of stay, and a shift of responsibility for complex care regimens to private households. Therefore, an innovative model to employ family caregivers in home care agencies is expanding in Switzerland and the United States. This policy brief aims to identify core characteristics of the model and analyze its potential benefits and challenges.Evidence: The model is expanding based on legal ground but without the requisite scientific evidence. After an initial patient assessment by a registered nurse, and assigned hands-on tasks to family caregivers, the salary is derived from payer reimbursement.Policy Options and Recommendations: Standards need to be in place to determine the family caregivers qualification that are specific to the client situation of all age groups. Supervision of quality of care, labor law, and blurred roles of biographical relationships remains at the responsibility of the home care agency.Conclusion: Further research for the data-driven exploration of the model is needed to inform the many stakeholders involved.https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605849/fullfamily caregivinghome careemploymentSwitzerlandUnited States |
| spellingShingle | Iren Bischofberger Mary Jo Vetter Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States Public Health Reviews family caregiving home care employment Switzerland United States |
| title | Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States |
| title_full | Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States |
| title_fullStr | Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States |
| title_short | Family Caregivers Employed by Home Care Agencies: Lessons Learned From Switzerland and the United States |
| title_sort | family caregivers employed by home care agencies lessons learned from switzerland and the united states |
| topic | family caregiving home care employment Switzerland United States |
| url | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605849/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT irenbischofberger familycaregiversemployedbyhomecareagencieslessonslearnedfromswitzerlandandtheunitedstates AT maryjovetter familycaregiversemployedbyhomecareagencieslessonslearnedfromswitzerlandandtheunitedstates |