Preventing Injuries Among Caregivers

Protecting and ensuring the safety of elders is of prime importance for home caregivers. However, many don't stop to think about protecting themselves from injury. By protecting the caregivers, we also provide a safe and secure environment for such care. Preventing injuries, especially back and shoulder injuries (the most common), can be achieved through proper education and attention to body positioning when lifting, turning and transferring patients from one location to another.

Many caregivers taking care of parents or grandparents are simply not suited for such physical stress. With the physical demands of physically lifting, turning and transferring patients, injury is common. In fact, it is estimated that musculoskeletal injuries that occur as a result of lifting or moving patients affects nearly 52 percent of caregivers.

Most caregivers in home environments are in their 40s, and 50s. Keeping them, as well as their loved ones, safe and healthy is vital. Learning how to practice good body mechanics in all aspects of home care is essential in preventing injuries.

Common Injuries

One of the most common injuries suffered by caregivers in a home setting is back injuries. Other dangers include exposure to needle sticks when caring for someone with diabetes or someone who needs supervised injections, as well as blood-borne pathogens that may be contained in saliva, urine, and blood. In addition, exposure to contagious illnesses or diseases may also occur. Still, by far, the most prevalent injuries among caregivers are those that involve the back, neck and shoulder joints.

Diane Sewell, an Assistant Director of Nursing at a long-term care center with 30 years of geriatric care experience states, "Most of the causes of injuries to home caregivers are back injuries caused by improper body mechanics when it comes to lifting. If a patient is receiving physical therapy at a facility that is aware of a situation where a family member is going to be taking care of an elderly parent at home, they will often suggest that the caregiver join in a therapy session to learn how to correctly transfer the person in different care scenarios."

Preventing Back Injuries

To reduce the risk of back injuries as well as back pain in caregivers, proper lifting techniques and methods need to be learned. In addition to learning proper body placement when lifting or transferring a loved one, a caregiver also needs to assess certain risks, learn to control those risks, and to evaluate methods that help alleviate such risks altogether.

The spine provides the basic form of movement and support for the human body; therefore it is constantly used, and suffers cumulative injuries caused by repetitive lifting of heavy objects. Caregivers must often handle awkward situations in a home environment, including patients who are uncooperative, overweight, fearful, and even wet, all of which increase the risk of injury.

Injuries can be alleviated by the use of:

• Grab rails and toilet seat risers in the bathroom
• Adjustable shower benches or chairs designed for bathtub use
• Adequate activity planning to reduce the number of transfers needed
• Proper training in positioning and ergonomic lifting procedures

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