The term Personal Support Worker (PSW) is an umbrella reference for many different types of frontline healthcare workers. PSWs work in hospitals, home care, palliative care, nursing homes and other fields. With a job on the front line, there are many unique situations any personal support worker could find themselves in. While most times the job can be extremely rewarding, there are also circumstances where things may get dangerous. The last thing anyone wants while working on the front line is to find themselves caught up in a liability situation, but these things do happen. However, there are ways that you can cover yourself and ensure you are protected. One way of doing that is by purchasing insurance.
Insurance for personal support workers
consists of two main coverages:
Errors and Omissions Coverage
Liability Insurance for Healthcare Workers
Errors and omissions insurance protects personal support workers from repercussions of personal errors or omissions they have made while working on the job or with patients. Mistakes, unfortunately, do happen in every profession, but with personal support workers, one mistake can prove very costly. While working with one patient, perhaps you forgot to turn off the mushrooms cooking in the kitchen and now there is a fire. This could be a costly mistake without errors and omissions insurance, though under protection, your insurance provider is able to cover these financial costs.
Liability insurance may be beneficial to PSWs with their own business. This kind of coverage protects you and your business from costs associated with property damage or injury sustained at your premises. If you work in a nursing home and someone slips on the floor and hurts their leg, having general liability insurance can help you cover the associated costs.
Other insurance coverages you can purchase
Libel & Slander Coverage
Breach of Confidentiality
By working with many patients, you may be dealing with sensitive information you didn’t know was sensitive. If you let something that you shouldn’t have slip out, you could be opening the door to a whirlwind of lawsuits. With libel and breach of confidentiality insurance, you are protecting yourself from these claims. Do keep in mind that this coverage doesn’t usually cover statements said against your own business, untrue statements purposely said in an attempt to defame someone or if you were not insured at the time of the incident in question.
Libel & Slander Coverage
Breach of Confidentiality
By working with many patients, you may be dealing with sensitive information you didn’t know was sensitive. If you let something that you shouldn’t have slip out, you could be opening the door to a whirlwind of lawsuits. With libel and breach of confidentiality insurance, you are protecting yourself from these claims. Do keep in mind that this coverage doesn’t usually cover statements said against your own business, untrue statements purposely said in an attempt to defame someone or if you were not insured at the time of the incident in question.
Cyber Insurance for Healthcare Workers
When looking into insurance coverage for different aspects of personal support workers, cyber threats should be accounted for. Although your work is mostly face-to-face, if you use your phone or computer to book appointments and keep track of data, you are susceptible to cyber-attacks and data breaches. These breaches can result in great financial loss, which is where cyber insurance steps in. Regardless of if the information stolen is of great value or not, coverage can range from investigation costs to software damage costs, and even third-party lawsuits. The proper insurance policy can help cover all costs associated.
Are you a PSW thinking about getting insured? Call isure today and let’s discuss all of your insurance options. Our team of professional and experienced insurance brokers will find you the best rate for whatever coverage you are considering.
Not sure where and how to start?
isure experts are here to HELP you.