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Home healthcare workers provide care in client homes and may be exposed to safety and health hazards as part of their daily work routine. From infectious agents, patient lifting, and ice-covered sidewalks to violent patients, hostile animals, and driving hazards, these home healthcare workers may be faced with multiple situational factors that they have little control over. However, employers must ensure that these workers are protected from any recognized, serious hazards.
Home healthcare workers include a variety of professionals that place themselves at great risk to provide a seamless and convenient treatment plan for patients in their own homes. These workers include nurses, home health aides, hospice workers, physical and respiratory therapists, speech therapists, and many more. Home healthcare services range from providing medication and therapy to assisting with bathing or changing bandages.
Due to the wide range of services offered, home healthcare workers are exposed to a litany of hazards:
To protect home healthcare workers from safety and health hazards, employers must:
Home healthcare employers are recommended to also: