Advancements in Homecare Safety Research

LOWELL, Mass. (July 10, 2018)—UMass Lowell Prof. Margaret Quinn received international recognition for her research, which aims to improve the health and safety of homecare workers. The American Industrial Hygiene Association named Quinn the recipient of its Alice Hamilton Award, which honors outstanding women for their contributions.

Quinn has devoted much of her career to developing best practices and interventions that help prevent injuries and accidents, including explosions of oxygen tanks, while nurses, health aides, family members and others care for patients at home. She directs the Safe Home Care Program, which is part of the university’s Lowell Center for Sustainable Production.

UMass Lowell’s Safe Home Care Program partners with private organizations, trade associations, labor unions and government agencies to improve conditions for health care providers and patients. The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, which Quinn co-founded, develops and advances practical solutions to environmental and health problems faced by health care workers and the public. Research is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

“Safer conditions for aides also translates to safer conditions for clients and their families,” Quinn said via UMass Lowell press.

The responsibilities of caregivers range from dressing wounds to lifting and moving patients, as more individuals recuperate at home or age in place, and Quinn’s most recent work offers scientific evidence on how individuals can clean and disinfect surfaces in the home without developing asthma or other conditions. Her work also identifies products and methods that are both effective to prevent infection and safe for respiratory health.

Quinn recently presented at the International Congress on Occupational Health in Dublin, Ireland, on the health and safety challenges faced by caretakers working in the home.

UMass Lowell is a midsized public research university located north of Boston.

Visit uml.edu for more information.