Do relative and non-relative personal assistance providers differ regarding their risk of occupational injury and musculoskeletal disorders?

Personal Assistance Services (PAS) employs nearly 900,000 providers of long-term care; many are relatives hired by PAS recipients. Risk of occupational injury and musculoskeletal disorders among PAS providers is a concern and it is unknown if relatives are more vulnerable compared to non-relative providers. This paper explores whether paid relative and non-relative providers differ regarding this vulnerability, using data from a survey of PAS providers (n=855). No differences were found regarding risk of injury or musculoskeletal disorders, which suggests that PAS programs could continue offering options for recipients to hire relatives as providers, with no additional risks placed on relatives.