Antecedents of Well-Being of Home Care Workers: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review
Veronika Kuradchik-Pekarskaya, Ines Martinez-Corts, Celia Gago-Valle, Francisco Jose MedinaAbstract
Background and Objectives
Demand for home-based care is growing, yet the attractiveness of this sector remains low due to poor working conditions. This threatens the sustainability of this service, which is often preferred by older adults. To address this issue, it is necessary to understand of the home care environment. Thus, the aim of this review is to develop a theory-informed framework that explains how multilevel conditions influence the well-being of home care workers.
Research Design and Methods
A mixed methods systematic review was conducted. The last updated search was conducted on 8 April 2026. Searches covered Jan 2000—April 2026. Two reviewers independently coded the data, synthesised the findings using a convergent integrated approach, and integrated the evidence using the Job Demands—Resources and Work—Home Resources theories.
Results
79 studies were included. High workload volume and intensity and, emotional demands with limited organisational resources were linked to strain, while adequate supervision, information flow, training, access to material resources, and supportive relationships mitigated harm and sustained motivation. The patterns were most pronounced among direct-hire and migrant workers. Negative consequences of the devaluation of care work and the crucial role of legal rights awareness emerged as novel contributions to the field.
Discussion and Implications
This theory-informed review addresses fragmented evidence on home care workers’ well-being, identifies where demand rises and resources thin under efficiency pressures, and points decision-makers—especially in direct-hire and migrant-reliant systems—to specific practices for retaining the workforce and safeguarding care quality.