Closing the Home Care Case: Home Health Aides' Perspectives on Family Caregiving

A series of focus groups with home health aides experienced in caring for patients with stroke or brain injury provided insight into how they experience their work and their relationship to family caregivers. Two issues merit more attention. First, aides reported that they do not always have all of the information, including diagnosis or previous history, which they need to provide appropriate care. Second, aides said they often receive little advance notice about when the case would close. Abrupt transitions are hard for aides, families, and patients who have often built up a good relationship. Agencies should establish better lines of communication for relevant information, correct misunderstandings about privacy rules, provide additional guidance about how to respond to caregivers' questions, and provide adequate time for closure.