worker putting face mask on
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Five major themes emerged when researchers from several New York institutions conducted a qualitative study of 33 home healthcare workers employed by 24 home care agencies to see to what extent home healthcare workers experienced on-the-job challenges that increased their vulnerability as a workforce during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

  1. Home healthcare workers were on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic but felt invisible;
  2. Workers reported a heightened risk for virus transmission;
  3. Workers received varying amounts of information, supplies and training from their home care agencies;
  4. Workers relied on nonagency alternatives for support, including information and supplies; and
  5. Workers were forced to make difficult trade-offs in their work and personal lives.

The study was conducted March 26 to April 30 in partnership with the education fund of the 1199 Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers East. Participants had a mean age of 47.6 years; 32 (97%) were women, 21 (64%) were Black and six (18%) were Hispanic.

Results appear in the November issue of JAMA.