The Home Health Aide Experience: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy

Little is known about how home health aides (HHAs) perceive the daily physical challenges and risks of injury they face in their line of work. The objectives of this study were to 1) gain detailed information about the daily experiences of HHAs, 2) identify physical challenges of their work, and 3) determine if there is a role for occupational therapists (OTs) in injury prevention through education. A qualitative descriptive approach using semistructured phone interviews that were recorded and transcribed was used. Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method was used to guide data analysis. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and included eight female HHAs with an age range of 35 to 65 years. The following themes were identified: HHAs valued the use of a client-centered approach with their clients (Know the rules and know your clients even better), HHAs assisted their patients with a wide range of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living to support their independence within their home (More than Activities of Daily Living), transferring clients was considered the most physically demanding task (Would you like a hand with your transfer?), and participants believed new HHAs could benefit from training in patient positioning, appropriate use of adaptive equipment, and proper lifting mechanics in various contexts (Let's get physical!). The areas of overlap between HHAs' needs and OTs' skills provide an opportunity for OTs to consult with home care agencies as educators.