title: Characteristics of home care workers who leave their jobs: a cross-sectional study of job satisfaction and turnover in Washington State.
abstract: Attracting and retaining a stable and motivated home care workforce has become a top policy priority. We surveyed 402 former home care workers in Washington State. We compared these "leavers" to current home care workers recently surveyed. Those who left the profession were more highly educated, had higher household income, and were more likely to be White. Those newly employed have better benefits, wages, hours, and career mobility than in their home care jobs. The low status and poor pay of home care workers may result in the inability of the profession to retain those who face better prospects.
authors.affiliation: a Service Employees International Union Healthcare , Seattle , Washington , USA.
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banijamali
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacoby
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagopian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D066086:Health Services for Persons with Disabilities / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D018576:Home Health Aides / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000639:trends; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D014861:Washington; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000523:psychology; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: home care workers; human resources for health; job satisfaction; retention; turnover; workforce