Home Care Work: A Legacy of Slavery in U. S. Health Care

Abstract

The home health care industry is emerging as a significant employer of lowincome and minority women in the United States. Many of the new nonprofessional jobs, such as home attendant and home health aide, are structured within subemployment systems that keep wages low and benefits few or nonexistent. This article suggests that the current conditions have historical roots in U. S. slavery and the persistent segregation of black women in work roles as domestic servants in private households. Data are presented from a survey of home care workers in New York City, and the implications for social work practice are discussed.