Home health aides perform physically demanding work while caring for patients in their homes. From assisting with mobility and personal care to transporting supplies and traveling between appointments, home health aides face unique workplace hazards every day. As a result, home health aides frequently suffer injuries that require medical treatment, time away from work, and workers’ compensation benefits.
At Stern & Cohen, we represent home health aides, personal care aides, caregivers, companions, and other healthcare workers who have been injured on the job. If you suffered a work-related injury while providing in-home care, our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorneys are ready to help.
Common Causes of Home Health Aide Injuries
Unlike workers in hospitals or nursing facilities, home health aides provide care in environments they do not control. Every home presents different risks and hazards.
Common causes of home health aide injuries include:
- Lifting, transferring, and repositioning patients
- Slip and fall accidents
- Wet floors, loose rugs, and uneven walkways
- Falls on ice, snow, or outdoor steps
- Repetitive lifting and overexertion
- Motor vehicle accidents while traveling between patients
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Workplace violence from patients or family members
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Exposure to infectious diseases
Because home health aides often work alone, injuries can be especially serious and difficult to avoid.
Common Home Health Aide Injuries
The physical nature of home healthcare work places significant stress on the body.
Common home health aide injuries include:
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Rotator cuff tears
- Knee injuries
- Herniated discs
- Wrist and hand injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Slip and fall injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Concussions and head injuries
- Occupational illnesses and disease exposure
Many home health aides continue working through pain until injuries become severe enough to require medical treatment or time away from work.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Home Health Aides
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits may be available if you were injured while performing home healthcare duties.
Workers’ compensation benefits may cover:
- Medical treatment
- Surgery and hospital bills
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Prescription medications
- Wage-loss benefits
- Benefits for occupational illnesses and disease exposure
- Workers’ compensation settlements
Whether your injury occurred while lifting a patient, driving between appointments, or slipping on a hazardous property, you may be entitled to benefits.
Motor Vehicle Accidents and Home Health Workers
Home health aides spend a significant amount of time traveling between patients’ homes. As a result, motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of serious injuries for home healthcare workers.
In many situations, injuries sustained while traveling between patient visits may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. If another driver caused the accident, you may also have a separate third-party claim against the at-fault driver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can home health aides receive workers’ compensation benefits?
Yes. Most home health aides in Pennsylvania are covered by workers’ compensation and may qualify for benefits after a work-related injury or occupational illness.
Does workers’ compensation cover car accidents between patient visits?
Often, yes. If you are traveling between patients as part of your job duties, injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
Can I receive workers’ compensation if I slip and fall at a patient’s home?
Yes. Slip and fall injuries that occur while providing home healthcare services may be covered by workers’ compensation, even if the injury happens on a patient’s property.
Contact a Pennsylvania Home Health Aide Injury Lawyer
A serious injury can make it difficult for home health aides to continue providing care and earning a living. At Stern & Cohen, we help injured healthcare workers pursue the workers’ compensation benefits they deserve.
If you were injured while working as a home health aide, personal care aide, caregiver, or companion, contact Stern & Cohen today for a free consultation.