PSW in LTC vs Home Health

xokw, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2016

I'm working as a personal support worker in long-term care for the summer during my BScN and am finding the pace and ratio of PSWs to residents (1:10) overwhelming. I have the opportunity to work for a home health care service and am hoping it may be a more rewarding pace for me.
For those of you who have worked in both, how did you find they compared?
I enjoy the patient care in LTC and am very good at it (residents have provided excellent feedback to my superiors), but I really dislike having to rush these confused souls each morning to get to the breakfast table. I was the recipient of home care many years ago during a few high risk pregnancies, and think I have a realistic idea of what I'll providing if I take that job...or has it changed a lot? I'm in Ontario.

I can't speak in regards to PSW experience in these areas, but I am an RPN who works in home health. I used to work in long-term care on night shift where I was responsible for 2 units (56 residents).

Ya, I definitely prefer home health. I never want to work anywhere where I feel too busy to be able to do my job without cutting corners, if that makes sense. Home care is still really busy, because you are often seeing a ton of patients, managing time, traffic, weather and road conditions, planning geographically, AND working around patient's own personal schedules, but I prefer the one on one aspect, even if I'm only there for 10 minutes.

The hours are better too. I'm a full-time BScN student and it works way better for my schedule.

PoultryGirl17, BSN · Jun 5, 2016

I can't speak in regards to PSW experience in these areas, but I am an RPN who works in home health. I used to work in long-term care on night shift where I was responsible for 2 units (56 residents).
Ya, I definitely prefer home health. I never want to work anywhere where I feel too busy to be able to do my job without cutting corners, if that makes sense. Home care is still really busy, because you are often seeing a ton of patients, managing time, traffic, weather and road conditions, planning geographically, AND working around patient's own personal schedules, but I prefer the one on one aspect, even if I'm only there for 10 minutes.
The hours are better too. I'm a full-time BScN student and it works way better for my schedule.

Thanks for the feedback, xokw. You have confirmed what I think it will be like. I'm in a rural area, with what I expect will be greater distances between clients and only 2-3 per day with assistance with ADLs, as compared to urban services. I'll find out more at my interview next week.