Aggressive incidents in home care services and organizational support: A cross-sectional survey in Switzerland

Aims: To explore the available organizational structures addressing aggressive incidents towards home care services staff. Background: Organizational structures how professional caregivers deal with care recipients' aggressive incidents. Methods: An explorative cross-sectional survey using the Violence Experienced by Staff (German version revised) and the Impact of Patient Aggression on Carers Scale was conducted. Data from 852 health care professionals in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were collected between July and October 2019. Multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate associations. The STROBE-Checklist was used as the reporting guideline. Results: Organizational support and management support in home care services were generally rated high and found to cause a significant decrease in negative feelings. Some self-rated skills regarding aggression management were linked to a decrease in perceived burden after aggressive incidents, whereas others increased the perceived burden. Conclusion: Organizational structures including official procedures for affected professional caregivers should be established in home care services. This should contain efficient reporting systems and aggression management training for the specific setting. Implications for Nursing Management: The study highlights the importance of organizational support regarding aggressive incidents in the home care setting as well as of aggression management training.