Client Transport, & Home Health Aide

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If you work for a Home Health Agency don`t you have the right to refuse to transport a client in your own personnel vehicle? or would that be grounds for termination? They offer reimbursement for travel, but thats it. If you have an accident your on your own. If the Client gets hurt since your driving, & its your vehicle. It makes you legal liable for that person.

If a job supplied the vehicle it would be a different story. Do you think that its within ones right to refuse to use your personnel vehicle for clients errands, appointments, or romp through town? Agency says you can`t tell a client no. However, I feel the client or agency needs to provide a vehicle for transport of client.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
Agency says you can`t tell a client no.

:chuckle In that case, just hand over the keys and let the client drive. :chuckle

Just call your insurance carrier. I'm sure they can provide you with some legal lingo.

Even if it was legal, you're not a Taxi service.

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We`ll found out if you work for a Home Health Agency. Personel Automotive insurance doese not cover you incase of accident. It has to be Commercial Automotive Insurance. If you are to transport clients to supermarket or doctors office if you use your personal vehicle.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

In other words, transporting the client would be like driving without insurance. I cannot believe this agency encourages you to do this. I don't think anybody can terminate you or otherwise bring disciplinary action against you for refusing to break the law.

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Its not me, but someone in my family went to work as a Home Health Aide. They did ask for proof of insurance. They fail to tell you that it has to be Commercial. If you total your vehicle transporting them your out of Vehicle if you have just Personnel Automotive insurance.

Keep in mind the Commercial Insurance is more expensive than regular.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
In other words, transporting the client would be like driving without insurance. I cannot believe this agency encourages you to do this. I don't think anybody can terminate you or otherwise bring disciplinary action against you for refusing to break the law.

I suspect that they would not outright terminate you, but they may not offer anymore shifts. Unless your client lives in an area that has no immediate public transportation, I would tell both the agency and the client that I took the bus or a taxi. There is no way that I would transport anyone for free. HHAs barely make enough for themselves and now have to worry about transporting a client back and forth? Nursing is getting more and more abusive by the moment!

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Years ago when I used to work as a HHA, the agency allowed us to transport the clients in our own vehicle. I was assigned to a case where the client had her own car which was far better than mine... She started using me by asking me to go to the grocery store every day to pick up an onion, a head of lettuce, sometimes a tomato. I had to take her in my car to the beauty shop and doctor's appointments, while her car was sitting in front of her house. Even though the agency paid me for mileage and gas, I felt being taken for a ride (pun intended). One day I asked, why I cannot take her in her own car since mine had an over heating problem, she told me she wanted to give her car to a family member. I told her the air conditioner is not working, she said she didn't care, she didn't mind having the windows down. ....This is Florida where the weather is in the high 90's... I became adamant, I called my agency and told them I wanted to be taken off the case while explaining the situation...She said if I cannot drive her around in my car, I am not doing anything for her.....I kindly asked her to signed my paper work and left.....After that, I found an agency where part of their rule was,never under any circumstances are you suppose to take any client or family member in your vehicle while working on contract for them. You can travel with the patient in a car that is driven by a family member, or taxi. Those were the days.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

So, she didn't care that she was wearing down YOUR car as long as she preserved her own? I would have left, also. That is purely taking advantage...

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

I did a little research this weekend. Where I live, HHAs are considered medical personnel. Medical personnel does not provide non emergency transport, rather, transport falls under domestic services. This service may be provided by a companion, however, agencies will have the client sign a waiver. I believe it all comes down to the job description. Does the job description include transportation of the client and if so, what is the reimbursement. I know healthcare workers (LPNs included), who don't mind transporting their clients. IMO way too risky, and on a personal level, I'm not in the transport business. There are other alternatives.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

I just had my 1st job interview today since being licensed. It was with a home health agency. I remembered this thread & asked the coordinator during the interview what was their policy on transporting clients. Their procedure is is that they have the client sign a waiver that will keep you from being liable, should something happen to them while in your car.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I am just plain not comfortable transporting someone in my vehicle. This is a litigeious society and even if waivers are signed, etc...it does not mean that one may not incurr court costs while fighting for themselves. In addition, the bottom line is that most of us do not earn enough to suddenly become chauffers as well. If you are being reimbursed by the agency, that is still money coming out of YOUR pocket FIRST. This means that you have to wait until the money is returned for you to purchase groceries, gas, and pay bills. Some agencies may even make you wait because of misplaced paperwork. I know people do what they have to do, but to me, this is so wrong.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
I am just plain not comfortable transporting someone in my vehicle. This is a litigeious society and even if waivers are signed, etc...it does not mean that one may not incurr court costs while fighting for themselves. In addition, the bottom line is that most of us do not earn enough to suddenly become chauffers as well. If you are being reimbursed by the agency, that is still money coming out of YOUR pocket FIRST. This means that you have to wait until the money is returned for you to purchase groceries, gas, and pay bills. Some agencies may even make you wait because of misplaced paperwork. I know people do what they have to do, but to me, this is so wrong.

I agree. The place was sorta cheap too, they only pay $9.00/hr for those who work 3-6 hours & are licensed CNAs. The pay isn't that much better than someone with HH exp. but isn't licensed b/c they pay them $8.75/hr. Then if you work more than 6 hours, the pay goes down to $8.00/hr. Is that normal? More time, less pay? Also concerning the mileage thing, they give you $.40 per mile driven. I didn't really think that was a lot but again, is that the normal rate for mileage reimbursement?

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