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Fatigue-Related Injuries Among Nursing Home Caregivers

May 1, 2024 | Personal Injury

Nursing homes and assisted living caregivers play a critical role in the Southern California economy. Their work supports the aging population, ensures that they live out their golden years in comfort, and prevents family members from having to cut their careers short to care for loved ones. But this career has its downsides. Nursing home caregivers work an erratic array of shifts and often spend both holidays and weekends away from family. Additionally, fatigue is a common issue. The work is physically and mentally fatiguing, and injuries are common. That’s why it’s important to explore your legal options after a work injury. At Pisegna & Zimmerman, we make it easy to start your workers’ compensation claim from the comfort of home. Our team is ready to meet with you over Zoom, and when it’s time to sign your documents, DocuSign saves you the trip to our office. Just call us at 818-888-8888 to set up a consultation.

When you look at the statistics, it’s clear that the odds are stacked against caregivers. The average injury rate across all industries was 3.0 out of 100 full-time workers. Nursing care facilities have an injury rate of 13.1, residential intellectual disability facilities have an injury rate of 4.8, and assisted living facilities have an injury rate of 8.1.

Why is Fatigue So Common Among Caregivers?

Caregivers put in long shifts, with many facilities requiring 12-hour shifts instead of eight-hour shifts. When someone calls out sick or doesn’t show up, that often means that the person they were supposed to relieve cannot leave. Leaving residents vulnerable and without care is both unethical and illegal, so if caregivers aren’t given any other option, their eight-hour shift may turn into 16 hours; a 12-hour shift may last until someone else can come in to provide relief. The demand for care providers has skyrocketed in recent years, and as a result, workers are seeing some of the highest patient-to-staff ratios they’ve ever seen. This puts an enormous strain on caretakers’ bodies, and trying to meet the expectations of both patients and administration can put a lot of mental strain on top of that.

Additionally, working long or irregular shifts can destroy your natural sleep cycle. Even when caretakers do get a break, they may find it difficult to get the rest they desperately need. When you combine these factors, it’s easy to see that fatigue is nearly inevitable.

Types of Fatigue-Related Injuries

Caregivers report a wide range of injuries caused by fatigue, including:

  • Musculoskeletal injuries: When you start to wear out, proper lifting tends to go out the window. For caregivers, that’s a major issue. Even if they have lifting equipment to help them transfer patients, they still have to do a significant amount of supportive lifting to help patients get in and out of slings and equipment. Furthermore, they do some lifting when helping with personal care tasks. One tired lift can cause a pulled muscle, muscle tear, or muscle sprain. Depending on how much time the caregiver has to recover, this pain could linger for months.
  • Falls: Fatigue can have a profound impact on your balance. Slips and falls are significantly more likely among fatigued workers. This is dangerous both for caretakers and the patients they serve.
  • Head injuries: Caretakers who suffer slips and falls may also have head injuries. While most are minor, traumatic brain injuries require rest and time to recover—and caretakers rarely get the day off after an injury, much less the extended rest they need.

How Nursing Home Residents Are Affected

Higher injury rates aren’t just an issue for caregivers and nursing home personnel. They’re also problematic for the population they serve. Patients in nursing homes are often vulnerable and at risk of injury, so they are highly dependent on their caretakers. When they are being helped by a fatigued caretaker, they may fall if the caretaker loses their balance or grip. They may also receive substandard care if a care provider is too tired to finish their work completely.

Fight for Fair Compensation With Pisegna & Zimmerman

If you’ve suffered an injury due to fatigue at work, you could be entitled to compensation. Unfortunately, employers often make it difficult for employees to get the workers’ compensation they are entitled to. We can help. At Pisegna & Zimmerman, we advocate for injured employees like you every single day. Start your claim now by calling us at 818-888-8888 or contacting us online. With DocuSign document management and Zoom meetings, you can meet with us from the safety and comfort of home.