EMPOWERING VETERAN AUTONOMY AND CHOICE - THE ROLE OF TRUST IN THE UPTAKE AND ENGAGEMENT IN HOME HEALTH AID SERVICES

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

The Veterans Health Administration’s commitment to veteran-centered care relies on Home Health Aid services purchased from community providers, particularly for veterans with higher needs. Trust in the patient-provider relationship, recognition of veteran autonomy, and respect for care choices are identified as crucial drivers of both uptake and ongoing engagement. Using 60 semi-structured interviews at five diverse sites, inductive thematic analysis links trust-building efforts across VHA and contracted agencies to key touch points in assessment, referral, acceptance, and sustained service involvement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Veteran-centered HHA services

Research Methods

Semi-structured interviews

Inductive thematic analysis

Key Findings

Trust and autonomy across touch points

Initial assessment

Referral and acceptance

Ongoing engagement

Implications

Coordinated trust-building across agencies

98 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 as providing information and education about available HHA services, involving family and caregivers in discussions and care, and fostering collaborative care were identified as key factors that directly influence informed clinical decision-making. Building trust at every stage of the HHA service process requires coordinated efforts across both VHA and contracted agencies, ensuring that veterans, providers, and caregivers establish strong relationships and work together to ensure high-quality care. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.323 EMPOWERING VETERAN AUTONOMY AND CHOICE: THE ROLE OF TRUST IN THE UPTAKE AND ENGAGEMENT IN HOME HEALTH AID SERVICES Margaret Ding1, Lauren Hall1, and Emily Franzosa2, 1. James J Peters VA Medical Center, New York, New York, United States, 2. Bronx VA, Bronx, New York, United States The Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) commitment to veteran-centered care prioritizes the unique needs of veterans, offering Home Health Aid (HHA) services purchased from community providers essential for those, especially, with higher needs. Trust in the patient-provider relationship, recognition of veteran autonomy, and respect for veterans’ care choices are crucial for HHA service uptake and engagement in care. To better understand how veteran-centered approaches affect use of HHA, our team conducted 60 semi-structured interviews with VA primary care providers (MD, RN, NP, Social Workers) and home health agency staff at 5 geographically diverse sites (15-20/site) . Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings across these 5 sites highlighted how trust and autonomy impacts multiple touch points of care when connecting veterans to HHA, including 1) initial assessment (ex. encouraging disclosure of ADL needs) 2) referral and acceptance of services (ex. veterans’ preferences for care and their concern for the loss of independence) 3) ongoing engagement with services (ex. veterans’ voicing concerns about care quality) . Additionally, VHA and agencies’ strategies to build trust, such

FAQs

What makes trust and autonomy important for home health aid use?

Trust in the patient-provider relationship, recognition of veteran autonomy, and respect for veterans’ care choices directly influence uptake and continued engagement in home health aid services.

How was the study conducted?

The team conducted 60 semi-structured interviews with VA primary care providers and home health agency staff across five geographically diverse sites, then used inductive thematic analysis.

Which stages of care were highlighted as affected by trust?

Findings describe trust and autonomy shaping multiple touch points, including initial assessment, referral and acceptance of services, and ongoing engagement with care.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Damian