Employee wellbeing – learning from the homecare sector

Feeling happy and fulfilled at work can depend on many factors, like doing what you love, bonding with the people you work with, and having good work-life balance.

A report from the homecare sector carried out by Nursebuddy revealed factors that can make or break a carer’s day. Good relationships with their [HR1] clients came as the main reason why carers feel happy at the end of the workday, while long days and packed rotas came first on reasons why carers feel unhappy after work.

Most carers love their job and do it out of passion, dedicating their lives to help others. So, what can you do to make sure you contribute to their happiness as their manager?

Start by understanding the carers’ relationships with the residents. Is there a resident that they get along more with than others? You can help nourish their relationship when organising their schedule. Is there a resident that they don’t get along as well? Ask both sides of the story, try to find out where the issue lies and offer advice to improve the relationship.

Another way to support your employees' wellbeing is by allowing flexibility in their rotas. The care sector requires workers around the clock, so most carers do not expect a nine-to-five role. This is where flexibility becomes key. Do you have systems in place that allow your employees to manage their rotas? Being able to swap shifts when needing time off will improve their wellbeing and their relationship with colleagues, as they cover for each other.

Read the full report below, and remember to talk to your staff and ask them what can you do to improve their wellbeing at work.

Homecare workers finish 74% of shifts feeling ‘very happy’, finds new carer wellbeing report

May 2024: Survey of frontline domiciliary carers uncovers key reasons behind good and bad days in homecare.

74% of shifts in homecare end with carers feeling ‘very happy’, according to a new survey of frontline homecare workers. Smooth shifts and rewarding client relationships together accounted for 90% of homecare visits where a carer finished feeling ‘very happy’.

The survey of over 2,000 domiciliary carers, found the joy of care work and satisfaction in a job well done were the main criteria for a happy day at work.

Fulfilling relationships and successes with clients were behind 42% of happy shifts. Care workers reported enjoying their day when they got along with the people they were caring for, as well as feeling satisfaction when they achieved something new, such as helping someone to go outside for the first time in a long time.

Another 48% of ‘very happy’ shifts were reported simply as a good day at work - things went smoothly and all was well.

Other reasons included supportive colleagues or management (6%), well organised rotas and minimal travel time (3%), and learning opportunities (1%).

The survey was conducted by Nursebuddy, a homecare software provider, who gathered the data from its in-app carer wellbeing survey. Domiciliary care workers using the app are prompted to rate how they feel at the end of each shift, and leave a comment explaining why. Nursebuddy analysed the comments to identify the key themes behind why carers report feeling happy or sad when they finish work for the day.

Working conditions - such as long and tiring days and stressful packed rotas - were singled out as the primary reason why carers finished their shifts feeling unhappy.

Asked what homecare businesses can learn from the findings, co-founder of Nursebuddy, Simo Hännikkälä said: “Our recommendations to homecare companies based on the data we collected, and feedback from our customers, are to think of the opportunities you have: are there some obvious challenges that you want to fix or do you want to build on your strengths?

“If you want to add more happy days for your carers, try to make sure they have as many positive experiences with clients as possible. Make sure they are well-matched, and help them get to know their clients on a personal level - things like their favourite food or TV series. Simple but meaningful things like that.”

A full copy of the Carer Wellbeing Report 2024 can be downloaded from: https://nursebuddy.co/carerwellbeing