on lifting, both of which interfered with his work. The father further testified that he was unable to work based on his total disability and that he received food stamps and government assistance to pay for his heat and obtained other necessary items from local pantries.
At the time of the hearing, the father had applied for Social Security disability benefits, although such an application would not preclude a court from finding that he was capable of working (see Matter of Dench-Layton v Dench-Layton, 151 AD3d at 1202). On the other hand, a few days before the parties' appearance in Family Court for confirmation of the willfulness finding, the father was approved for disability benefits, though he had not been advised of the amount that he would receive. WeNovember 18, 1993, until her medical condition changes in the future. Additionally, the hearing officer ordered that certain unpaid medical bills be paid by the employer, and awarded penalties and attorney fees to Ms. Lemoine. The employer appeals this judgment.

DISCUSSION
For approximately two years prior to the accident Livonia Ducote Lemoine had been employed as a nurse's assistant by Hessmer Nursing Home at its Avoyelles Parish location. Her duties in that position included bathing, dressing, and feeding patients as well as transporting them from place to place within the nursing home. The nature of her duties required that she frequently lift patients to place them in their wheelchairs or back into their beds. On May 24, 1990, Ms. Lemoine claims she felt a strain in her back, legs, and