What are the biggest risks faced by nursing assistants working at nursing homes?

Nursing assistants routinely perform physically demanding work, providing nearly all of the front-line care in nursing homes. Unfortunately, their labor frequently results in serious injuries.

According to research published by RTI Press, 60 percent of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) employed by nursing homes experience occupational injuries. CNAs must do a great deal of lifting, bending, and twisting when caring for patients, often leading to injury.

Typical Causes of Nursing Assistant Injuries

Nursing home residents frequently need help with walking, bathing, dressing, and other normal daily activities. In fact, they’re sometimes completely dependent upon caregivers for their mobility. This puts a lot of pressure on CNAs, who must often cope with:

  • Workplace stress. Nursing home facilities are frequently understaffed. This can lead to a lot of overtime and long shifts, resulting in stressed and exhausted healthcare workers. Additionally, caring for nursing home residents can be an emotional rollercoaster for CNAs, who must cope with the pain of losing patients. The resulting workplace stress frequently leads to headaches, anxiety, depression, migraines, and insomnia.
  • Overexertion. Repetitive actions associated with patient care may result in overexertion injuries. The heavy manual lifting required to transfer patients from a bathtub to a chair, or from a chair to a bed, can lead to:
    • Lateral epicondylitis. Also known as tennis elbow, this is inflammation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow.
    • Medial epicondylitis. This condition is inflammation of the tendon originating near the humerus at the elbow joint.
    • Carpal tunnel syndrome. Stress caused by repetitive hand and wrist motions may lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Nursing Assistant Injury Compensation

If you were hurt while working as a nursing assistant in a care facility, you’re entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical bills and loss of income. You need an attorney to help you receive the compensation you deserve. To learn more, contact the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., by using the form on this page.

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