Abstract: Through interview survey of social workers of home care service agencies in Nanjing City, this paper, from the perspective of social worker's intervention in home care service, divides the service into two parts: direct and indirect home care services. The social workers' internal role conflicts is reflected in the conflict of professional social workers' roles and comprehensive staff roles, which led to the trouble for social workers when they intervene in the service: difference in the interest objectives between the agencies and social workers; insufficient knowledge of social work profession among agencies; hierarchy in the agencies forming a barrier to the free play of social workers embedded in them; the challenge to social work service as a result of the diversification of service targets; insufficient knowledge and understanding of social workers and home care service among service targets; lack of a clear knowledge of their own needs among service targets; lack of effective supervision in agencies. To resolve the predicaments in social worker's home care service for the elderly, more specific solutions include repositioning of service programs, inspection of agencies before the introduction of social workers; improve social worker's comprehensive status through offering staff quota; match the agency with a program in a specific region, enhancing publicity by the government; extensive pre-tests jointly organized by three related departments and dual supervision from the agencies and government.

Key words: home care services, social worker intervention strategy, social roles