As you train to become a certified home health aide, you’ll enter a rewarding industry where employees feel proud to make elderly or disabled people’s lives easier. However, in your service, it’s just as important to prioritize your own health and safety. After all, to take care of your patients, you’ll need to feel safe and energized. Use the following tips to stay safe on the job and continue a fulfilling role as a home nurse.

How to Stay Safe on the Job as a Certified Home Health Aide

1. Keep a Distance From Pets

Even if you’re a devout animal lover, save the pets and cuddles for your dogs and cats at home. All pets are protective of their owners, but some may become aggressive if they feel you are interfering with their territory or harming their master. Even if they have a gentle temperament, you could become distracted by the pet and fail to protect your patient. As a general rule of thumb, certified home health aides should ask clients to keep their pets confined during your session.

2. Don't Overdo It

While part of your role may be to help your patient around the house, it’s crucial to set boundaries. Taking on exhausting chores like organizing their garage, moving furniture, or performing intense cleaning tasks may leave you in pain or too tired to provide more essential services. If you must lift heavy objects, bend at the knees and keep your spine straight, and stretch after exerting a lot of energy. If a regular task is simply too difficult, talk to your agency about assigning multiple aides to a client or installing gear in the patient’s home, such as a chair lift.

3. Be Careful Where You Walk

While you’ll quickly become familiar with your patient’s house as the days go by, it’s important to watch your step, especially in the first few weeks of working with a new client. Memorize the location of ledges, unstable stairs, or divots in the floor that could lead to trips and falls as you work. Also, keep your shoes on to avoid slipping or stepping on sharp objects. If your patient has a shoes-off policy, wear surgical covers over your soles to avoid tracking in dirt.

If you want a fulfilling career as a certified home health aide, get in touch with Big Apple Training today. With two training centers in New York, it’s never been easier to start learning your next trade. In addition to home health aide classes, they also train aspiring EKG technicians, phlebotomists, and certified nursing assistants, so you can choose the ideal path for your career. To learn more about their programs, visit the website or call (914) 437-7373 to reach their White Plains location. To speak with someone in the Bronx, dial (718) 231-3600.