Home health care: occupational health issues.

1. Although much work has been done to identify occupational risks to health care workers in institutions, little has been done to describe such risks in the growing home care industry. Changes in the nature of home care suggest the risks may be equivalent, with additional risks from the variable environment of the home. 2. Directors of home care agencies in Northern California were surveyed with respect to the nature of home care, workers, characteristics of occupational programs, and common illnesses and injuries. Musculoskeletal injuries were the most common occupational injuries reported. 3. Despite legislation and accreditation standards, occupational programs in home care agencies are incomplete. Further work is needed to determine the relationship between the presence of occupational health programs and home health care outcomes.