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Building Sustainable Institutional Care: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Healthier Work Environments

  • Celia Gago Valle
  • Francisco José Medina Díaz
  • Ineé Martínez-Corts
  • Veronika Kuradchik Pekarskaya
  • Maria Dolores Burguillos Duran

The aim of this chapter is to provide evidence-based recommendations for designing and implementing interventions that promote the well-being of institutional care workers in Europe. Nursing homes; residential facilities; and hospitals are central to Long-Term Care (LTC) systems; yet their sustainability depends on ensuring healthy and decent working conditions for staff who face demanding and emotionally intense environments. Drawing on the Care4Care project (Horizon Europe) and guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory; the chapter integrates quantitative and qualitative evidence from six European countries. The analysis highlights common challenges—such as excessive workload; interpersonal conflict; and workplace incivility—associated with burnout; work–life conflict; and physical exhaustion. Protective factors including autonomy; emotional support; and opportunities for professional development were also identified; though their availability varied depending on institutional and national frameworks. Moreover; emotionally intense situations and blurred boundaries between professional and personal life emerged as recurring issues; with cultural and organisational contexts shaping the way these experiences were managed. In light of this evidence; the chapter offers multilevel recommendations: organisational measures to promote supportive leadership; participatory decision-making; and structured peer-support systems; professional development initiatives to strengthen autonomy; recognition; and career pathways; and policy actions to ensure adequate staffing ratios; protections against workplace incivility; and fairer working conditions across Europe. By integrating comparative evidence with actionable recommendations; the chapter provides guidance for employers; policymakers; and professional associations to foster healthier and more sustainable institutional care environments that safeguard both worker well-being and the quality of care delivered.

  • Keywords:
  • institutional care workers,
  • long-term care,
  • workplace well-being,
  • human resources practices,
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Celia Gago Valle

University of Seville, Spain - ORCID: 0009-0000-4272-3141

Francisco José Medina Díaz

University of Seville, Spain - ORCID: 0000-0002-3657-1716

Ineé Martínez-Corts

University of Seville, Spain - ORCID: 0000-0001-7047-3581

Veronika Kuradchik Pekarskaya

University of Seville, Spain - ORCID: 0009-0009-8183-9513

Maria Dolores Burguillos Duran

University of Seville, Spain - ORCID: 0009-0002-5275-0586

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  • Publication Year: 2026
  • Pages: 105-125
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
  • © 2026 Author(s)

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  • Publication Year: 2026
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
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Chapter Information

Chapter Title

Building Sustainable Institutional Care: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Healthier Work Environments

Authors

Celia Gago Valle, Francisco José Medina Díaz, Ineé Martínez-Corts, Veronika Kuradchik Pekarskaya, Maria Dolores Burguillos Duran

Language

English

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-1029-4.07

Peer Reviewed

Publication Year

2026

Copyright Information

© 2026 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Bibliographic Information

Book Title

CARE4CARE - We Care for Those Who Care - Vol. III

Book Subtitle

Building Dignified Care Work in Europe: Critical Reflections, Policy Proposals and Practical Tools

Editors

Maria Luisa Vallauri, William Chiaromonte

Peer Reviewed

Number of Pages

408

Publication Year

2026

Copyright Information

© 2026 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Publisher Name

Firenze University Press

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-1029-4

ISBN Print

979-12-215-1028-7

eISBN (pdf)

979-12-215-1029-4

eISBN (epub)

979-12-215-1030-0

Series Title

Studi sul lavoro di cura - Studies on Care Work

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