The Importance of Workers Comp for Care Givers

Workers compensation insurance protects both caregivers and the agencies for which they work should a senior care provider sustain an injury on the job. As such, it is a crucial aspect of responsible care in virtually any field, but particularly those that require employees to carry out physically demanding tasks. While providing senior care may not seem physically demanding on the surface, professionals who provide home care to elderly individuals must drive to different locations, lift heavy objects, and engage in other activities that may result in injury.

Mary of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, discovered the importance of workers compensation insurance when she was injured on the job. Mary was caring for a patient and, while helping the patient into a wheelchair, she pulled her back. The injury forced her to miss two weeks of work, as she had to visit multiple doctors and allow her back to heal before resuming her daily responsibilities.

If it weren't for workers compensation insurance, Mary would have lost much more than the use of her back for those two weeks. With bills to pay, she would have been financially devastated had workers compensation not covered the lost wages and doctor's fees associated with her injury.

Workers compensation laws vary from one state to the next, but in all cases they are meant to protect all parties involved. Here are some important highlights about this form of insurance:

• Workers compensation will provide employees with wages they have missed should they be absent from work due to a work-related injury.
• Workers compensation often covers medical bills associated with a work-related injury, such as costs regarding hospital visits and follow-up appointments.
• When an employee accepts workers compensation coverage they give up their right to sue their employer.
• This form of insurance allows for a variety of situations, as it can offer weekly payments, similar to disability insurance, and can provide benefits to the families of workers who die due to their injuries, depending upon the circumstances.

Workers compensation insurance is important for caregivers, as their job requires them to complete tasks that can result in injury.