Home healthcare workers provide a very important service, however they are subjected to many different types of health hazards and risks.
Home healthcare workers and nursing assistants provide very important services in the state of Missouri. They provide long-term care and personal assistance to people with disabilities and other chronic health conditions. Unfortunately, they experience very high rates of occupational injuries. Whether employed by a home care agency or a self-employed independent contractor, they have little control over their work environment which may present a variety of different health and safety hazards.
Types of Injuries in Home Healthcare Workers
The home healthcare worker is a nurse or other medical employee that tends to a patient directly at the patient’s home. That happens either at the family’s request for the patient to remain at home for care or simply because the nature of the condition allows it.
Most often, home healthcare workers deal with senior citizens, people with disabilities, or those suffering from any type of condition that prevents them from taking care of themselves.
The tasks a home healthcare worker will do greatly depend on the qualifications of the individual. For instance, some at-home care employers can take care of a patient’s needs like bathing, running errands, or even provide company, while registered nurses are also responsible for administering treatment.
It is often a very stressful and demanding job, and as a result, many of these workers can suffer from:
- Repetitive stress, since most have to perform the same activities daily, or multiple times a day
- Back problems if the patient has to be lifted or manually handled
- Bloodborne infectious diseases if the workers come in contact with blood or other bodily fluids
- Psychological conditions if they are working under a stressed, high-demand environment
- Exhaustion and sleep deprivation
Particularly if they work with patients with certain psychological issues, the at-home healthcare worker could potentially be exposed to violence on a daily basis, another potential risk for injuries.
Workers Compensation for Healthcare Workers
Healthcare workers, whether they are working in a hospital, retirement center, or at a home, should know that they are entitled to workers compensation if they get injured or sick while caring for their patients. These benefits can help cover the costs of your treatment, and account for any lost wages you may have as a result of your treatment.
St. Louis Work Injury Attorney
If you are a home healthcare worker and have been injured or have been diagnosed with an occupational illness, contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann. When injured, you need answers and money quickly. You have bills to pay, a family to take care of, and a job to go back to. We will strive to resolve your claim quickly. Before leaving our firm after your first appointment, we will fully explain the legal process to you and will contact the insurance company. The majority of our workers’ compensation claims are well underway within the twenty-four hours.