Employee Safety Training - Animal Bites

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Hi all you Home Health nurses. I thank God for you guys. I tried it and didn't last but about 3 months. Anyway, my wife is a Home Health PT, for about 15 years. Over that time she has been actually bitten by 5 dogs and one cat. One incident required antibiotics and a tetorifice shot and one incident required her to take the rabies injection series because the animal could not be found. She has had untold incidents of close calls wherein "nips" by patient dogs have only contacted clothing and not skin; the most recent resulted in a knee injury when she was twisting away from an aggressive animal while shielding herself with her computer bag - but was not bitten. Three weeks ago a coworker of hers sustained a serious animal attack from a patient's dog and has yet to return to work. My wife's company has never offered any employee safety training in regard to this subject and has no rules or policies for patient's to secure their animals during home health visits. I'm interested in getting an idea as to what other home health agencies/companies provide their employees, if anything, regarding employee safety and animal bites/attacks during home health visits. You know, kind of get an idea of what the industry standard is for this subject. Thank you.

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
How's your wife? Is she okay? Is her employer being supportive?

She has a patellar fissure according to the MRI, they've been watching, continued swelling, tenderness, slight weakness, intermittant pain, if no change in 2 weeks, ortho referral. This happened August 30. The employer is supportive especially since she is the only PT of the 2 PTs the company has, and is working, since the other PT, her boss, hasn't returned to work yet. Thanks for asking.

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She has a patellar fissure according to the MRI, they've been watching, continued swelling, tenderness, slight weakness, intermittant pain, if no change in 2 weeks, ortho referral. This happened August 30. The employer is supportive especially since she is the only PT of the 2 PTs the company has, and is working, since the other PT, her boss, hasn't returned to work yet. Thanks for asking.

Geez. I'm really sorry.

Glad they are backing her up.

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My agency has a strict pet policy. If there is even a question of the animal, we require the client to secure it in another room or in a kennel while staff is present. some of us are a bit more relaxed around pets while others are not, which can lead to a bite. Not saying that it is fear that causes the bite, but seriously, many people are just not comfortable while I am of the kind that will make friends with the pet first, lol. But in all seriousness.. if the client refuses to adhere to the rules, we discharge them or do not admit them to services. At least I can say that the agency I work for is very safety oriented.

Sorry that happened and the odds are that now it has, it will make her even more leary of pets in the home. I hope that the company backs her up and puts some rules in place for staff safety.

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OldDude, do you guys have pets?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
OldDude, do you guys have pets?

Golden Retriever, Chihuahua, Weiner dog, and a yorkie.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Golden Retriever, Chihuahua, Weiner dog, and a yorkie.

Biters the lot.

Mostly joking...but not totally...I have been bitten by each of those breeds.

Pets should be secured when health professionals are in the home. period. It's a safety issue.

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Biters the lot.

Mostly joking...but not totally...I have been bitten by each of those breeds.

Pets should be secured when health professionals are in the home. period. It's a safety issue.

*stares at your username and wonders why on earth you've gotten bitten by dogs*

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