Home-Based Care
More than 2.9 million personal care aides and home health aides provide home-based care in the United States. The demand for this care is expected to grow as the population of older adults increases and more older Americans express a preference for living and aging in their own homes.
Researchers at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston are actively working to strengthen the home care sector by studying the needs of both professional caregivers and care recipients and testing solutions to help providers recruit and retain the direct care professionals on whom many older adults depend.
Featured Research
Job Design for Home Care Work
In 2022, the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston documented how home care agencies across different business models design the jobs and work environments of nonmedical personal care aides (PCA). During interviews with leaders and employees at 11 home care agencies, researchers explored issues related to PCA recruitment, onboarding, communication, supervision, care planning roles, and career advancement.
Health Literacy and Home Care Access among Older Adults
Examining whether health literacy—the ability to find, understand, and use information to make health-related decisions—can help older adults and caregivers successfully access needed home care.
Contact: Molly Wylie
Bolstering the Home Care Profession in Richmond
Evaluating a multi-pronged intervention to bolster the home care profession by acknowledging the value of professional care providers and increasing their retention rates.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
Job Design for Home Care Work: Perspectives from Employers and Home Care Aides
Documenting how different home care business models address job design and the overall work environment for home care aides.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
Enhancing Frontline Nurse Management in Long-Term Services and Supports
Exploring how the field of aging services can support a cadre of trained, competent nurse managers in residential and home care settings.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
A Vision for Reimagining the Direct Care Workforce
Advancing a vision for professionalizing the direct care workforce, improving recruitment, reducing turnover, and ensuring quality.
Contact: Robyn Stone
Home Care Aide Training in Seven States
Documenting promising state-sponsored training practices for the home care workforce.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
Personal and Home Care Aide State Training (PHCAST) Program Evaluation
A national evaluation of a competency-based training curriculum for personal and home care aides.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
Analysis of the National Home Health Aide Survey
Identifying characteristics of home care workers and factors influencing intent to leave a job.
Contact: Natasha Bryant
Identifying Competencies for Mid-Level Managers and Frontline Workers
Identifying competencies for personal care attendants and middle managers in long-term services and supports.
Contact: Natasha Bryant