The work of health auxiliaries in social services and the implementation of a new approach to intervene with clients with dementia

Abstract

The aging of the population leads to an increase in the needs for seniors who want to stay at home. In the home support business line, programs are deployed, new methods for dealing with clients are implemented, and technologies are increasingly being used to improve the services offered. Although several studies focus on the factors that may have an impact on the work and health of healthcare and social service providers, few focus on home support aides. Even fewers studies talk about the impact of innovation on the work and health of these workers. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a study carried out among healthcare and social services workers in a region of Quebec, in Canada. The analysis of the results allows us to draw a picture of the sources of satisfaction and suffering associated with the practice of this profession, as well as the strategies used by the participants to cope with the suffering. Moreover, the analysis of the results leads to a reflection on innovation in this sector of activity.