Racial–Ethnic Differences in Turnover Intent Among Home Health Aides

Abstract

Home health aides are crucial to ensuring quality services for the growing older adult population needing home-based care in the United States. We utilize data from the nationally representative 2007 National Home Health Aide Survey ( N = 3,344) to analyze racial–ethnic disparity in turnover intent. Non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic Other home health aides had higher all-cause turnover intent than Non-Hispanic Whites. Cause-specific turnover intent varied by race–ethnicity. Compared with non-Hispanic White home health aides, (a) non-Hispanic Black home health aides were more likely to leave due to low pay and educational/advancement opportunities; (b) Hispanic home health aides were more likely to leave due to a perceived lack of respect or difficulty with their supervisor/agency; and (c) non-Hispanic home health aides were more likely to leave due to an impending move. Findings suggest that efforts to address high levels of turnover intent among home health aides should account for differences in race–ethnic groups.