Cite this article：
Wu, H., Yung, M. “If I Do not Go to Work, They Will Die!” Dual Roles of Older-Adult Personal Support Workers’ Contributions During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Disaster Risk Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-024-00553-x
“如果我不去工作，他们就会死去！”老年私人护工在COVID-19期间做出的双重贡献
Haorui Wu & Mandy Yung
摘要：
当COVID-19对老年人集中的社会机构（长期护理院和养老院）造成严重破坏时，大多数公众的注意力都集中在老年居民身上，而不是他们的服务提供者身上。私人护工的情况尤其如此，他们中的一些人年龄已超过55岁，这使得他们在COVID-19环境中被划分为两个不同的类别：（1）受COVID-19影响尤为严重的弱势边缘群体；（2）必不可少的医疗保健工作者。由于目前以灾害为驱动的研究、实践和政策主要集中在老年人是一个脆弱、被动和依赖性强的群体这一普遍假设上，而没有认识到他们的多样性、专业知识、优点长处和经验，因此本研究旨在从老年私人护工（OAPSW）的角度来确定他们的贡献。这项定性研究邀请了加拿大大多伦多地区的15名老年私人护工进行了深入访谈。这项研究揭示了老年私人护工在三个层面的贡献：个人（增强身体健康、心理健康和整体福祉）、工作（改善工作环境和服务以及支持同事）和家庭（保护其核心家庭和大家庭）。本文的研究成果通过提高对老年人各种优势的认识，促进他们在灾害情景中的参与和贡献，为老年人研究、实践、政策、公共讨论和教育提供了信息。
关键词：
加拿大；COVID-19；个人-工作-家庭三角化；老年私人护工
“If I Do not Go to Work, They Will Die!” Dual Roles of Older-Adult Personal Support Workers’ Contributions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Haorui Wu & Mandy Yung
Abstract：
When COVID-19 devastated older-adult organizations (long-term care homes and retirement homes), most public attention was directed toward the older-adult residents rather than their service providers. This was especially true in the case of personal support workers, some of whom are over the age of 55, putting them in two separate categories in the COVID-19 settings: (1) a vulnerable and marginalized group who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19; and (2) essential healthcare workers. Since the current disaster-driven research, practice, and policy have primarily focused on generalized assumptions that older-adults are a vulnerable, passive, and dependent group rather than recognizing their diversity, expertise, assets, and experiences, this study aimed to identify their contributions from the perspective of older-adult personal support worker (OAPSW). This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews, inviting 15 OAPSWs from the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. This study uncovered the OAPSWs’ contribution at three levels: individual (enhancing physical health, mental health, and overall well-being), work (improving working environment and service and supporting co-workers), and family (protecting their nuclear and extended families). The outcomes inform the older-adult research, practice, policy, public discourse, and education by enhancing the appreciation of older-adults’ diverse strengths and promoting their engagement and contributions in disaster settings.
Keywords：
Canada, COVID-19, Individual-work-family triangulation, Older-adult personal support workers
文章链接：
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13753-024-00553-x
