Assessing Workplace Violence and Policy Impact: A Cross-Sectional Study of Home Healthcare Workers

Workplace violence (WPV) is a health concern with limited understanding in home healthcare. This study investigated the occurrence of WPV among home healthcare workers (HHCWs). HHCWs completed a survey about the frequency of WPV occurrence in organizations with written policies and the reporting procedures in the event of a WPV incident. About a third of respondents experienced both verbal and emotional abuse daily, whereas 56.6% of participants reported physical violence at some point while working with their current agency. In most cases, patients were the primary perpetrators. Despite existing reporting policies, none of the participants reported incidents to management, highlighting systemic barriers to reporting. These results underscore the urgent need for stronger workplace protections, improved management response, and targeted interventions to foster a safer work environment. Future research should focus on addressing reporting barriers and enhancing WPV prevention strategies.