Factors Associated With Care Aide Job Satisfaction in Atlantic Canadian Long-Term Care Homes

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Organizational Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Care aides are crucial in long-term care (LTC), yet job satisfaction is a persistent concern.
• The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model provides a framework for understanding workplace factors influencing employee well-being and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify individual and organizational factors associated with job satisfaction among care aides in Atlantic Canadian LTC homes.
• To examine the applicability of the JD-R model in the LTC sector.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing the Translating Research in Elder Care measurement system.
• Data collected from 1099 care aides across 53 LTC homes in Atlantic Canada.
• Generalized linear mixed-model analysis accounting for nested data structures.

Main Results:

• Personal demographics and facility characteristics were not significantly associated with job satisfaction.
• Individual well-being: higher mental health and professional efficacy correlated with higher job satisfaction; higher emotional exhaustion and cynicism correlated with lower job satisfaction.
• Organizational context: positive culture, organizational slack in staff, social capital, and evaluation were positively associated with job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Care aide job satisfaction is significantly influenced by individual well-being and organizational context, aligning with the JD-R model.
• Job resources (e.g., positive culture, adequate staffing) and personal resources (e.g., efficacy) enhance job satisfaction.
• Interventions should focus on improving modifiable organizational factors and supporting personal resources to boost care aide job satisfaction and retention.