A Caregiver’s Guide to Preventing Injury in Home Care Services

Caregivers have many important responsibilities, but one crucial job that most caregivers tend to overlook is ensuring their own safety and wellness while providing care for a loved one or person in need of homecare services. Whether you’re a home nurse, personal care assistant, or caregiver, your daily tasks can take both a mental and physical toll on your body; therefore, it’s important that while caring for another individual, you’re also taking time to care for yourself.

This week, we at Best Home Care wanted to share tips that homecare workers can practice in their daily routine to help prevent injury and illness from affecting their quality of work and support for others. Here are some important precautions to consider:

1. Before lifting any household items or assisting an individual with relocating from a bed or chair, take note of the movement’s difficulty level. For instance, how heavy is the object or person you’re carrying? Is the object difficult to grasp? What is the best route or angle for assisting the client in his/her movements?

(If you have any doubts that you won’t be able to make the move safely, call for help. Remember, if you hurt yourself, you can’t assist your client. Don’t take the risk.)

2. When lifting or assisting with a move, keep your back straight, head up, shoulders back, and ALWAYS lift with your legs. You never want to lift using your back. Also, be sure to give a count of 3 before helping a client move, as it gives the client's body and mind time to prepare for the movement.
3. In addition to preventing injury, take caution to prevent the spread of germs, too. As we head into the cold and flu season, it’s important to take all the necessary precautions against the spread of germs. Wash hands often and be sure to have antibacterial lotion nearby. If a client is sick, wearing a facemask and gloves can help prevent you from being infected by the illness and spreading it to other people in need of support.

As a professional caregiver, you need to remember that an essential component of your job is making sure you’re also caring for your own health and wellness. After all, if you want to provide the best care possible, you need to ensure that you feel your best. If you’d like to learn more caregiving safety tips or receive additional education resources on home healthcare services, contact Best Home Care today.