Thirty-three home health aides working across New York City faced increased risks to their physical, mental and financial well-being while providing essential care to their clients during the height of New York City’s fight against COVID-19.
Through one-on-one interviews during March and April, researchers identified five major themes from aides who were predominantly middle-aged African American women. Aids worked on the front lines of healthcare, while performing additional duties such as symptom monitoring, cleaning homes, and running errands, while feeling invisible to society at large. They reported a heightened risk of getting sick or transmitting the virus because many relied on public transportation and typically cared for older adults living with many chronic conditions.
They also reported that their agencies provided varying amounts of information and training about COVID-19, and failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. Lastly they made trade-offs between working and putting their own health at risk or losing their job and benefits. The analysis, funded by NHLBI, is published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.