Measuring workload of home visit care activities using relative values

• Published in: Journal of preventive medicine and public health Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 331 - 338
• Main Authors: Han, Seong-Ok, Park, Eun-Cheol, Kang, Dae-Ryong, Kang, Im-Ok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: Korea (South) 01.09.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Geriatric Nursing - organization & administration; Home Care Services; House Calls; Humans; Korea; Male; Middle Aged; Workload; Korea
• ISSN: 1975-8375
• DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2008.41.5.331

The purpose of this study was to measure the workload of home visit care activities and their relative values. This study examined also factors that affect the workload of home visit care activities. The participants of this study were 126 home-helpers of 50 home visit care agencies at the 2nd Longterm Care Insurance Demonstration Project. The workload of home visit care activities was divided into total work and four dimensions; physical efforts, mental efforts, stress and time. Home visit care activities consisted of four categories with 24 items. We used magnitude estimation method to measure their relative values of the four dimensions. The participants answered the relative values of each activities based on the reference service. We used the activity for supporting their elderly's evacuation as the reference service. Most of the respondents were over 40 years old female. They consumed most their time supporting elderly's going out. They consumed their highest physical, mental efforts, and stress for activities of coping with emergency situation. The Pearson correlation coefficients showed significant relationships between workload and each dimensions. This study showed that all four dimensions are statistically significant predictors of workload of home visit care activities. Also, we found that the home-helper's career affects the workload of home visit care activities. The workload of home visit care activities could be explained by physical efforts, mental efforts, stress and time.