Nursing home workers have difficult jobs. They often work long hours with difficult patients who may not appreciate the support that these workers provide. Their job can be physically demanding, too, putting them at an increased risk of being injured as they carry out their duties. As a result, these individuals can be rendered unable to work and can thus be cut off from the wages that they need to get by. The medical expenses associated with treating their injuries can be extraordinarily costly, too.
Fortunately, these injured workers might be able to alleviate their financial difficulties by pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. But what injuries might qualify you for the workers’ compensation support that you need?
Common nursing home worker injuries that may qualify for workers’ compensation
To those who are unfamiliar with nursing home work, the job can seem relatively safe. But the truth of the matter is that there are several injuries that can be suffered by performing duties in a nursing home setting. Here are some of the most common that may qualify you for workers’ compensation benefits:
- Back injuries: Nursing home workers do a lot of lifting. They may have to move furniture or medical equipment, and they oftentimes have to lift patients to help them out of bed, to reposition them to avoid bedsores, or to help them go to the bathroom. This lifting can result in pulled back muscles, herniated discs, and other injuries that can have long-term implications.
- Slip and fall injuries: Nursing homes sometimes have wet floors. Patients can spill drinks, floors can be mopped, and personal items can fall to the ground where they remain unseen until someone trips or slips on them. When someone falls, it can cause serious injuries, including broken bones, strained muscles and tendons, and even neck and head injuries.
- Assault injuries: Sadly, some nursing home residents turn violent towards the workers who are simply trying to help them. This can result in significant physical, emotional, and psychological injuries that require treatment to address.
- Exposure to infectious diseases: Nursing home workers often have to administer medication, draw blood, and engage in other skilled care that puts them in close proximity to a patient’s bodily fluids. When things don’t go according to plan, a needle prick or some other type of exposure can put a nursing home worker like you at risk of contracting an infectious disease.
- Repetitive stress injuries: Not all nursing home job duties are physical in nature. Some are routine and even monotonous. But even those routine duties that are regularly carried out can result in serious injuries. Repetitive stress, such as that caused by regularly typing into patient medical records, can result in injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. If left untreated, these injuries can become quite painful, making it difficult for you to work and enjoy your normal life.
What should you do if you’ve been injured on the job at a nursing home?
If you’ve been injured while working at a nursing home, then you need to consider taking legal action to protect your wellbeing. After all, if you don’t pursue workers’ compensation benefits, then you might be left without the financial resources needed to cover your daily living expenses as well as your medical care. This could leave you susceptible to vehicle repossession, home foreclosure, or eviction from your rental property.
You can’t afford bad outcomes like that. So, be prepared to gather the evidence you need to convincingly argue for the workers’ compensation benefits you need.