The Operatore Socio Sanitario (OSS), or care assistant, is the professional most frequently present in home care services. Yet their role is often underestimated or misunderstood by families who rely on these services for their loved ones.
What an OSS actually does
The OSS assists with personal hygiene, mobilisation, meals, daily activities, and cognitive and social stimulation. They do not perform healthcare procedures reserved for nurses, but play a fundamental role in daily monitoring of the person's condition.
Training and qualification
Becoming an OSS requires completion of a regional training programme of 1,000 hours of theory and practical placement. Although not a degree, the qualification requires specific interpersonal, health and hygiene, and emergency response skills. A trained OSS recognises warning signs and knows when to alert healthcare staff.
Teamwork with nurses and physiotherapists
The most effective care model integrates OSS care assistants, nurses and physiotherapists into a shared care plan. The OSS is the professional who spends the most time with the person receiving care and is often the first to notice significant physical or psychological changes.
📚 Scientific evidence
- D.M. 22 febbraio 2001 — Accordo Stato-Regioni sul profilo dell'OSS. Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 97/2001.
- Tarricone R., Tsouros A.D. (2008). The solid facts: Home care in Europe. WHO Regional Office for Europe.
- Ministero della Salute (2022). Monitoraggio dei Livelli Essenziali di Assistenza. Roma.
