The problems of a ‘dirty workplace’ in domiciliary care

Abstract

Abstract'Dirty work' is an acknowledged part of domiciliary care, with tasks such as bathing and toileting, but there is little examination into whether the workplaces may also be dirty. Domiciliaries' workplace is the client's own home, but this space has been under-researched and is often not considered essential to client's care in policy. Through shadowing and interviews with domiciliaries, managers and stakeholders this paper suggests that in the most extreme cases the workplace may be dirty. Arguably 'dirty workplaces' have a negative effect upon domiciliaries' through unofficially increasing their workload, further devaluing their work and risking their wellbeing. Highlights► Shadowing and interviews with domiciliary care staff and stakeholders, on workspace. ► Domiciliaries' workplace is the client's own home, and an under-acknowledged place. ► In the most extreme cases the workplace may be dirty. ► 'Dirty workplaces' can have negative affects upon domiciliaries. ► Unofficially increases domiciliaries' work, devalues them and risks their wellbeing.

Occupational hazards for home care nurses across the rural-to-urban gradient in Ontario, Canada

“…Due to this variability, it is reasonable to explore whether HC staff exposures to occupational safety hazards differ by geographical setting. In the HC literature, some studies provide descriptive reports of the geographical settings of their samples for context and generalisability of study findings (Haiduven & Ferrol 2004, Henriksen et al 2008, Sherman et al 2008, Wibberley 2013, Quinn et al 2015; however, few incorporate rural and urban contexts into their analysis (Meyer & Muntaner 1999, Sitzman et al 2002, Gershon et al 2008a. In this paper, HC occupational safety hazards will be described with the focus on examining differences among four geographical settings along the rural-to-urban gradient.…”

“…HC workers are often exposed to bodily fluids (Quinn et al . , , Wibberley , Markkanen et al . ), increasing the risk of communicable disease transmission.…”

“…Hazards related to HC work environments include exposure to communicable disease, unsafe home conditions and unsafe neighbourhoods. HC workers are often exposed to bodily fluids (Quinn et al 2009, Wibberley 2013, Markkanen et al 2014, increasing the risk of communicable disease transmission. Blood-borne diseases may also be spread through needle-stick injuries (Beltrami et al 2000, Haiduven & Ferrol 2004, Chalupka et al 2008, Gershon et al 2009, Quinn et al 2009).…”

Care and the shadow of the fourth age: how does home care get caught up in it and how does it stay away from it?

“…Most of these aspects were already identified by previous studies on the care relationship in the context of home care, such as dirtiness/cleanliness of the care setting and the care-receiver's body ( e.g. Twigg, 2000; Isaksen, 2002; Wibberley, 2013), respect and trust (Trojan and Yonge, 1993; Tadd and Calnan, 2009), ignoring/not ignoring ( e.g. Tadd and Calnan, 2009), privacy ( e.g.…”

“…The presence of odours, sights and textures produce a feeling of disgust in care providers and a disruptive effect on close relationships (Isaksen, 2002). It is suggested that in the most extreme cases the care-receiver's home may also be dirty, and a ‘dirty workplace’ may have negative impacts upon care workers ‘through unofficially increasing their workload, further devaluing their work and risking their wellbeing’ (Wibberley, 2013: 156). Second, body work is dirty work because it is pushed to private realms by a society that puts a high public value on youth and success and has an aversion to decay, failure and death.…”