Reduce Nursing Home Accidents with These Tips

Carer Helping Elderly Senior Woman Using Walking FrameNursing homes play an important role in the health care industry. The workers in these facilities take their jobs very seriously. They perform many physical and strenuous activities throughout the day to take care of the residents to make them as comfortable and happy as possible during their stay.

In order for these workers to provide the best of care, nursing homes need to take steps to protect their employees from accidents that hinder their performance or that results in lost time from work.

Nursing home workers have demanding jobs that can take its toll on the body very quickly. This is why they often suffer from aches and pains daily and many of these workers sustain serious injuries that prevent them from doing their job. Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of injuries in nursing homes.

Reduce Nursing Home Accidents with Floor Mats

Slip and fall accidents account for a large number of the injuries affecting nursing home workers. The floors in these facilities are naturally slick and when they become damp or wet, they become more dangerous. Keeping the floors clean and free of debris will help to reduce slip and fall accidents but floor mats can also make a huge difference.

You can reduce the amount of dirt, debris and moisture that enters the facility by using commercial entrance floor mats. The rubber scraper mats work very well for keeping these entranceways clean and dry. You can also use floor mats throughout your facility in high traffic areas and in kitchens and cafeterias to help reduce nursing home accidents.

How to Reduce the Risk of Back Injuries

In addition to the slip and fall accidents, many nursing home workers suffer from back injuries caused from the heavy lifting and from standing for long periods. Back pain can be a real problem and not only does it hinder performance but it’s responsible for a large percentage of the missed time from work.

Educating workers on the proper way to lift and having them work in teams when lifting heavy objects or moving patients will help to reduce the risk of back injuries. Using anti-fatigue floor mats in areas where workers stand for long periods will also help to reduce sore muscles and back pain.

Nursing home workers also perform many of their duties in awkward positions and this puts a strain on all the muscles within the body. Working in these odd positions can cause a condition called musculoskeletal disorder or MSD. This condition is described as injuries affecting the muscles, tendons, nerves, joints and ligaments supporting the neck, back and limbs.

The jobs nursing home workers perform are extremely important. They take care of those who can no longer care for themselves but this job is very demanding. For this reason, management should do everything they can to help protect their workers from these common injuries. Using floor mats and teaching workers the proper way to perform their jobs will go a long ways in reducing back pain, MSD and the risk of being involved in a slip and fall accident.

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