Insurance for personal care assistants
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Who needs personal care assistants Insurance?
Personal care assistants, whose duties may include cooking food, lifting heavy objects, dressing and bathing clients, and performing simple housekeeping tasks, should get professional and general liability insurance. Problems can arise when working with various clients, including patient confidentiality and privacy concerns. Obtaining insurance is a great way to protect yourself while continuing to provide beneficial services to clients in need—especially true for assistants who work privately.
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Policies available for personal care assistants
For the majority of personal care assistants, there are two main types of insurance policies worth considering, both of which provide unique aspects of protection to assist you in running your business as smoothly as possible.
Professional Liability Insurance for personal care assistants
Professional liability insurance—also called E&O Insurance—provides numerous potential benefits to personal care assistants, including coverage for personal injury (libel and slander), property damage, bodily injury, defense costs and negligence. Although events such as fraudulent acts are not covered by liability insurance, this form of insurance is very important for anyone who regularly provides professional services or advises clients.
- Negligence: The family of a client sues a personal care assistant when the client is hospitalized with an infection. They claim that the care assistant failed to change the dressings from a recent surgery, which led to the infection. We may cover defense costs as well as any settlement or judgment, up to the policy limits of liability.
- Sexual misconduct: A client has had a personal care assistant for years and starts speaking and acting as if the relationship was more. The personal care assistant recognizes that this is happening and asks that the patient find a different care giver. The client sues for abandonment and claims the personal care assistant initiated the inappropriate relationship. Professional liability insurance could protect you against claims of negligence even if you haven’t done anything wrong.
When a client reacts negatively to treatment, accuses you of breaching a confidentiality agreement, or otherwise feels as if they have been damaged in some way by the services you provide, the risk of getting sued can exist. You can protect yourself by getting professional liability insurance—a crucial tool for providing peace of mind to personal care assistants.
General Liability Insurance for personal care assistants
In addition to times where business owners can benefit from holding professional liability insurance, there are some scenarios that are not typically covered under this type of policy. General Liability—also called Commercial General Liability (CGL)—covers business owners against property damage, claims of bodily injury and any associated medical costs.
- Bodily injury: An elderly client falls and breaks her hip while you are at her home. Her family alleges that you did not keep her apartment clear of obstructions and claims that you are at fault for her injuries. We could cover the client’s claim and medical expenses up to your limits of liability.
- Property damage: A personal care assistant is in a client’s home, knocks over and breaks an expensive antique vase. We may cover the cost to replace the vase, up to the limits of your liability.
- Personal injury: A personal care assistant is at lunch. He talks to the owner of the shop about one of their clients in a false and unflattering way. The client learns of this discussion and sues for slander. We may cover the subsequent claim, up to the policy limits of liability, and pay for an attorney if necessary.
Though your property won't usually be covered under a personal care assistant plan, damage sustained to third-party property could be.
Learn more about general liability insurance costs.
Why do personal care assistants choose Hiscox?
At Hiscox, we understand just how much work goes into being a Personal Care Assistant, and we can help protect your business with a liability insurance policy customized to the unique needs of your business.
Here are five reasons why Personal Care Professionals, like you, choose Hiscox above other providers for liability insurance and general liability insurance:
- Flexible payment options: We understand that managing your cash flow can be a challenge, so we offer you the option of making monthly payments (with no additional fees) to help you manage your cash flow.
- Tailored insurance: We specialize in over 170 different industries, allowing us to offer small business owners, like you, insurance plans that are customized to the unique needs of your business and risks in your field.
- Claims responsiveness: When a covered claim is reported, Hiscox will immediately assign a dedicated claims representative to assist you.
- Coverage for contracts: Our custom liability insurance policies, including those for Personal Care Assistants, satisfy most standard contract insurance requirements.
- Worldwide coverage: A Personal Care Assistant business insured through Hiscox is covered for work done anywhere in the world, as long as the claim is filed in the U.S., a U.S. Territory or Canada.
- Passion for service: All our agents are knowledgeable about the unique risks your Personal Care Business faces and are here to address any concerns and/or answer any questions you may have. When surveying small business owners, like you, 4.7/5 recommend us for their insurance needs.
Ready to start protecting your Personal Care Assistant business? Get a fast, free quote now and get that Hiscox confidence behind your business. If you prefer, you can call us at 855-974-6363 and speak with a Hiscox licensed agent, Monday through Friday from 9am-5:30pm ET.
This information is provided to assist you in understanding the coverage we offer and does not modify the terms and conditions of any insurance policy, nor does it imply that any claim is covered. Coverages are subject to underwriting and may not be available in all states.