Research summary
Personal support workers (PSWs) play a vital role in our health-care system by providing care and comfort to patients in private homes or health-care facilities. But many of these workers experience systemic racism on the job—a situation that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Canada Research Chair in Care Work, Ethnicity, Race and Aging, Dr. Bharati Sethi is shedding light on the experiences of PSWs, especially racialized and immigrant workers.
She and her research team are exploring the well-being of PSWs who work in the long-term, home and community care sectors. They are also examining the complex ways in which racialization and gender impact PSWs based on factors such as socio-economic status, race, geographic location and sexual orientation. Ultimately, their findings will inform health-care policy to better support and empower newcomers to Canada and enable them to contribute to the economic and social well-being of their communities.