Tunick, Rachel

My paper critically examines the U.S. home health aide industry through a feminist analysis of
the relationships between home health aides, their patients, and the medical establishment. This
research adds to current feminist scholarship on care work by focusing on the social, legal and
personal relationships impacting the lives of those who give and receive care. According to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health aides are one of the lowest paid members of the
healthcare field, and hiring agencies expect high turnover rates and few long-term careers. Aides
provide basic care services such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation for elderly and
disabled clients. This industry is situated at the boundary between the public/private divide,
leading to many challenges as paid care work is performed in private homes. Historically, care
work was an expected duty done freely by the women of the family, but today much of the vital
intimate caring labor is relegated to a workforce made up predominantly of immigrant and
women of color. I add to feminist debates on gender and caregiving using intersectional analysis
and standpoint theory; discussing how race and class impact women’s ability to care for their
own families as they are paid very little caring for others. I address the implications for the
medical establishment to promote sustainable caring relationships between care recipients and
providers, and conclude that caring for the caregiver is essential in order to ensure a successful
model for patient care.

This research provides a feminist perspective on the lowest paid sector of the United States long-term care industry, Certified Nursing Assistants. This research adds to current feminist scholarship on the modern professional caregiving industry by focusing on the perspective of the workers. As the population of older adults requiring care is expected to increase over the coming decades, the demand for paid caregivers will increase as well. Historically, care work was an expected duty done freely by the women of the family, but today much of the vital intimate caring labor is relegated to paid caregivers. I examine how alternative social, political and economic frameworks can transform United States society’s attitude towards the increasingly relevant issue of caring labor. I argue that incorporating a feminist perspective will be helpful in developing a sustainable model for caring labor that acknowledges the dignity of both patients and their caregivers.

The Supreme Court's Ruling in DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services (1989) eld that "A State's failure to protect an individual against private violence simply does not constitute a violation of the Due Process Clause." (489 U.S. 189 at 197). A state child protection agency's failure to prevent near-fatal abuse of a four year old child under its supervision was not considered a violation of the child's fourteenth amendment rights. This thesis critcally examines the reasoning behind the majority decision in DeShaney ; and using feminist legal theory, discusses ways to effectively address state policy and liability when private violence is used on vulnerable citizens, challenging the arbitrary dichotomy between the public and private spheres.