Acute and Post-Surgical Home Services Policy 25-004 | Effective Date: November 24, 2022

Policy

WorkSafeNB may provide home care and/or home maintenance services for acute and post-surgical injured workers where it is determined by WorkSafeNB that these services are necessary as a result of a worker’s injury by accident and evidence supports contraindications to performing home care and/or home maintenance tasks.

While WorkSafeNB has the discretion to meet the special needs of workers on an individual case basis, home care services generally include:

• Professional health care services such as nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy; and speech therapy;
• Physical care including assistance with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, transferring and grooming; and
• Home making and home support to assist with the activities of daily living, such as cleaning, doing laundry and meal preparation

Home Maintenance is to assist workers to maintain a safe and accessible home and intended to offset some of the costs of hiring an informal provider for activities related to:

• Lawn care;
• Snow removal;
• Minor home repairs; and
• Other seasonal activities such as wood piling

Interpretation

1. To determine whether home care is necessary, WorkSafeNB will consider the identified short-term needs of the injured worker, as assessed by healthcare professionals such as occupational therapists or nurses, to support rehabilitation, foster independence and to facilitate recovery, enabling early and safe return to work.

2. When home care is determined to be necessary, home maintenance needs will be identified as part of the needs assessment.

3. When home care is not necessary, the need for home maintenance may be determined on a case by case basis considering:

• Home maintenance needs; and
• Estimated healing times;
• Medical restrictions or medical contraindications that would cause the worker harm due to their injury or post-surgical status that is supported by medical evidence.

4. When home care is provided by a professional or an agency, WorkSafeNB will pay them directly at the professional or agency rate.

5. In cases where the injured worker prefers that home care services be provided by an informal caregiver, WorkSafeNB:

• Determines that the informal caregiver is 18 years or older and is not the spouse or common-law partner;
• Determines if an informal caregiver can safely and appropriately provide the required care;
• Approves the informal caregiver as the provider; and
• Ensures that quality care is provided.

6.  For home maintenance the informal provider is arranged by the injured worker and may be agency that performs home maintenance activities, or persons 16 years or older, other than the worker’s spouse or common-law partner, who perform home maintenance activities

7. When an informal caregiver (home care) and/or informal provider (home maintenance) provides services, WorkSafeNB requires receipts to provide reimbursement up to the monthly approved care level fee. The informal care fee levels are:

• Level 1 – less than one hour of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 2 – one hour or more, but less than two hours of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 3 – two hours or more, but less than five hours of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 4 – five hours or more, but less than seven hours of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 5 – seven hours or more, but less than ten hours of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 6 – ten hours or more, but less than thirteen hours of care per day for five days or more per week
• Level 7 – thirteen hours or more care per day for five days or more per week

  For more information, see Fee Schedule 29-550 Home Care.

 Application

This policy applies to all decisions made on or after the effective date.