背景：居家服務是我國最廣為使用的長期照顧服務項目之一，由受過訓練的居家服務員到失能者或獨居長輩家中， 協助家務、身體和生活上的照顧。由於服務性質的特殊性，居家服務員和使用者及其家庭互動密切，因此 居家服務員的特質與服務滿意度息息相關。
目的：從服務使用者的觀點，探討好居家服務員應具備的特質。
方法：本研究採用焦點團體法，再以開放性問卷調查為輔，進行資料的收集與佐證。
結果：焦點團體的研究顯示，好的居家服務員的特質包括下列重點：能滿足案家的需求、工作技能、工作態度、 相處關係。開放性問卷結果顯示好居家服務員的特質包括：做事態度、待人態度、服務技巧、互動溝通技 巧。可見能滿足案家的需求、好的工作能力、態度，及與人溝通相處的技巧，是好居家服務員不可或缺的特質。
結論/實務應用：在訓練課程中，將好特質的内涵介紹給學員，建議居家服務員培訓的課程内容，可加強同理心、 工作態度、與人互動溝通相處的技巧及工作能力等議題之介紹。

Background: Home-care aides are the most widely used form of long-term care service in Taiwan. Trained home-care aides can provide assistance to disabled / older persons living alone in terms of household duties, daily living activities, and physical care. Due to the specialized nature of services provided, home-care aides interact closely with their service user's household. Home-care aide characteristics thus have a significant impact on home-care service satisfaction.
Purpose: This study investigated home-care aide characteristics to identify those deemed desirable from the service-user perspective.
Methods: The study used focus group interviews followed by a survey using open-ended questions.
Results: Focus group interviews found that good characteristics of home-care aides included the following major components: ability to satisfy the needs of the household, competence, work attitude, and interpersonal skills. Open-ended questionnaire results identified desirable characteristics including: work attitude, interpersonal skills, service skills, and communication skills. Therefore, competence, attitudes toward work, and skills in communicating and interacting with others are important characteristics of good home-care aides.
Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The good characteristics identified in this study may be introduced into current home-care aide training programs. We suggest that topics such as empathy, competence and work attitudes, and communication and interpersonal skills be incorporated into these programs.