Objectives: Given the increasing reliance on both formal (paid) and informal (unpaid) assistance for the care of older adults and the close relationships which are often formed with home care workers, the present study evaluated satisfaction with the relationship from the perspectives of the three members that make up the home caregiving triad: older adults, their family members and their home care workers.
Methods: We relied on a representative sample of 223 complete caregiving triads composed of an older adult, a family member and a home care worker. Each of the members rated his or her level of satisfaction with all other members in the unit, using a seven-item self-report satisfaction with the relationship scale (e.g., satisfaction with communication, intimacy). The Social Relations Model (SRM) was used to partial out the specific variance associated with each of the members as either an actor (i.e., the average satisfaction as a rater, unrelated to whom the person rates) or a partner (i.e., the unique satisfaction level elicited by a person, which is consistent across all ratings of this person).
Results: The structural equations model yielded acceptable results: χ²(3) = 6.94, p = .07. Our analysis revealed that the variability associated with the worker as partner was significantly greater than the variability associated with the older adult as partner (∆χ² [1] = 9.21, p = .002) or with the family member as partner (∆χ² [1] = 8.46, p = .004).
Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of studying satisfaction with the relationship in the home care setting and calls for further examination of the entire caregiving triad. The home care worker plays a key role in ensuring the overall satisfaction in the caregiving triad.
Keywords: Home care; caregiving; dyadic analysis; formal care; social relations model; triad.