---
title: What Every Home Health Care Worker Needs to Know About Safety | BAYADA
description: As a home health care worker, your safety is just as important as your client’s. Here's some tips for keeping safe while working in a client's home.
---

[Work-Life | A Blog For Nurses and Caregivers ](https://blog.bayada.com/work-life)

# [What Every Home Health Care Worker Needs to Know About Safety | BAYADA](https://blog.bayada.com/work-life/what-every-home-health-care-worker-needs-to-know-about-safety-bayada)

 Written by [BAYADA Home Health Care](https://blog.bayada.com/work-life/author/bayada) | Dec 19, 2022 3:38:00 PM

As a health care professional, prioritizing your own safety is just as important as your client’s. Below are some insights and reminders for keeping yourself safe while working in someone else’s home.

## Think safety first before entering a client’s home

There’s a lot *you* can do by yourself to enhance your own safety. One simple example is to park as close to your client's location as you can in a highly visible and well-lit area. Other actions you can take to stay safe going to and from a client’s home include:

- When you are in the car, keep the windows rolled up and the doors locked.
- Pay attention to your surroundings.
- Stay alert and walk briskly with your head up.
- Carry your bag or keys in one hand and a whistle, or some other personal alarm, in the other.
- Check front and rear seats before getting into your car.

## Fall prevention is important for you, too

Clients aren’t the only ones at risk of injury due to a fall. In fact, a common cause of injury for home health professionals is a slip, trip, or fall. You can eliminate a lot of these risks by noticing hazards in a client’s home and having your employer or the client address them. Here are some things to be on the lookout for:

- Slippery floors
- Frayed, loose, or curling edges of carpet or flooring
- Open drawers, throw rugs, or clutter
- Electrical cords, oxygen tubes, or wires
- Steps or ramps covered with ice, snow, or leaves
- Uneven sidewalks or gravel driveways
- Stairs without handrails

## Protect yourself against the physical demands of the job

Providing home care services can be physically demanding work, so take every precaution to prevent musculoskeletal problems.

### Use safe body mechanics

- Maintain your body’s three natural curves when moving, bending, and lifting.
- When moving your client, make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart with one foot a half step ahead of the other.
- Position yourself close to the object or client.
- Bend your knees and lift with your legs.
- Raise the bed to a comfortable height when assisting with transfers, etc.
- Move your feet when turning.
- Break heavy loads down into lighter, smaller trips.

### Transferring clients safely

First, make sure your client understands what you are doing and what you need him or her to do.

- Be sure to lock all equipment brakes and secure all connections.
- Use all transfer devices as directed.
- Never allow your client to put arms around your neck.
- Never try to stop your client from falling. When possible, without injuring yourself, control your client’s fall by easing them to the floor.

## Responsible employers prioritize their employees’ safety

Reputable and responsible home health care employers, such as BAYADA, are very concerned about worker safety and should have a clinical office leader or other knowledgeable leader do a home assessment before you arrive for your first shift. Though you are typically working by yourself, with a reputable employer, you are not there alone. In addition to the priority home visit, you should expect policies and standards such as:

- Provision of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Regular safety education training
- Providing of protective safety devices when appropriate
- Investigating and logging all employee concerns
- Immediate support for uncomfortable or unsafe situations

## Seek immediate support for uncomfortable or unsafe situations

If you experience an incident in a client’s home that makes you feel personally unsafe, report it immediately to your manager or supervisor. Responsible employers won’t hesitate to take action and, if necessary, undertake formal procedures such as:

- Reporting violent incidents to appropriate law enforcement, health care, and social services agencies
- Informing you of your legal right to prosecute perpetrators of violence
- Determining how to prevent additional problems

In addition, some companies—like BAYADA—offer an Employee Assistance Program, which provides legal, financial, and emotional support services, typically at no charge to the employee.

## Trusting your instincts can be your best defense

Although it’s impossible to avoid or prevent every potentially dangerous situation, being consistently safety conscious goes a long way to significantly reducing the chances of being injured on the job.

 

[View full post](https://blog.bayada.com/work-life/what-every-home-health-care-worker-needs-to-know-about-safety-bayada)

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