Is burnout in home care professionals associated with older adult client outcomes? Exploring depressive symptoms, pain, health-related quality of life, and the moderating role of dependency

BACKGROUND: As populations age, home care is becoming increasingly important. Demanding working conditions in this strained sector may contribute to burnout; however, little is known about whether burnout in home care organisations is associated with care recipients' outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the association between personal, work-related, and client-related burnout levels in organisations providing home care and the progression of depressive symptoms, pain, and health-related quality of life among older adult care recipients after six months. It also examined the moderating role of care recipients' level of dependency. METHODS: The sample included 2284 care recipients and 1056 staff members from 22 home care organisations across six European countries. Burnout was assessed via the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Care recipient outcomes were measured using the Depression Rating Scale, 4-Point Pain Scale, Health Utility Index Mark 3, and Activities of Daily Living Long Form. Regression analyses were conducted at the organisational level. RESULTS: Analysis revealed no association between burnout levels in home care organisations and care recipients' trajectories of depressive symptoms, pain, or health-related quality of life. Recipients' dependency levels did not moderate these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that burnout levels of home care staff were not associated with the progression of depressive symptoms, pain, or health-related quality of life among care recipients. A limitation is that, by using aggregated level data, dyadic associations between caregiver burnout and recipients' care outcomes may have been missed. Future research should examine caregiver well-being and care recipient outcomes at the dyadic level.