Caregivers employed in hospitals endure long working hours, with an average of six days per week and 17 hours per day. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that caregivers employed in hospitals endure long working hours, with an average of six days per week and 17 hours per day.
As caregivers provide around-the-clock patient care, they do not receive an adequate amount of rest hours. Additionally, they have reported instances of contracting infectious diseases and exposure to inhumane treatment, including verbal and physical violence.
On Wednesday, Chung Soo-chang, an analyst at the Graduate School of Urban Public Health at the University of Seoul, presented the findings of a survey on the health conditions of caregiving workers.
The questionnaire-based survey involved 302 caregivers from five hospitals: Seoul National University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu Dongsan Hospital, Chungbuk National University Hospital, and Kangwon National University Hospital. The survey was conducted in June and July of this year.
All respondents were one-on-one caregiving service providers. Among the 296 valid respondents, 292, or 98.6 percent, were women, with an average age of 65.
Three out of the five hospitals operated on a 24-hour all-day work system, while the remaining two operated on a 24-hour alternate-day work system. The average weekly work days were 6.01, with an average daily work duration of 17.18 hours. The average nightly sleep duration was 4.74 hours.
The conditions and facilities for resting were found to be inadequate. Only 5.4 percent of respondents claimed that separate rest hours were guaranteed, and the share of those confirming the availability of rest facilities was low at only 8.4 percent.
Many caregiving workers reported injuries and infections from working in hospitals, with 55 percent stating that they had experienced falls or injuries caused by objects over the past year. Among those with such experiences, 92 percent had to cover their own treatment costs.
Concerning infectious diseases, 36.8 percent of respondents reported having been infected while working in hospitals.
The percentage of those who experienced inhumane treatment, such as disrespectful language and insulting words, stood at 70.6 percent, with 83.7 percent of offenders being patients and their guardians.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
