Oral

Long term care providers, particularly those who care for the low income elderly and disabled, are themselves low income and disproportionately minority, female, and without strong structural supports such as health insurance, occupational health services, and promotion prospects. Furthermore, these caregivers are often responsible for their own children, disabled relatives and elders in addition to their paid care giving work. Presenters in this panel examine features of care giving work which disproportionately expose these workers to adverse occupational hazards or health impacts. The first paper will present an in-depth analysis of the attitudes, concerns and priorities regarding family-responsive policies among executives and managers in nursing homes. The second paper reports the prevalence of violence at work of home care workers who visit the low income elderly and disabled in Chicago. The third will present an analysis of work organization features (such as hours worked and unpaid work) of home care workers who care for family members compared to those who care for non-family members. Finally, the last paper will examine the differences in work organization for home care workers over 50 when compared to their younger counterparts. Together these papers expose deficiencies in the way that low income care giving work is organized with specific recommendations for policy and practice.

Session Objectives: Discuss the features of low income care work that put workers and their clients at risk for poor health. Formulate possible policy solutions to low income care work and the occupational risk associated with this work.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)