POSITION: Personal Care Aide (PCA)

MAIN FUNCTION: Personal Care Aides are unlicensed, non-professional workers. Personal Care Aides do require to have an active Home Health Aide (HHA) or Personal Care Aide (PCA) certificate in NYS. Presbyterian Home Care does provide Personal Care Aide (PCA) training to those not certified.

The Personal Care Aide is a member of the service team, working under the guidance of the supervisor. The Personal Care Aide works within homes in the community, traveling from home to home providing care to individual client’s whom are wanting to maintain their independence out in the community. The Personal Care Aide is expected to continue developing his/her skills and abilities in the function he/she performs.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: This list is not exclusive but is indicative of those types of procedures in which a Personal Care Aide may participate. Each resident care plan will outline the exact procedures a Personal Care Aide is expected to carry out for the individual.

A. Give personal care

1. Bath – bed, chair, tub, shower

2. Comb hair/shampoo

3. Denture, mouth/care

4. Make bed

5. Help with dressing

6. Help with walking

7. Transfer patient from bed to chair

8. Nail filing/cleaning unless diabetic or contradicted by nurse

9. Feeding/recording intake and output as needed

B. Give special care:

1. Accompany patients to medical care appointments

2. Help with use of appliances, i.e. wheelchairs, walker, crutches, hearing aides as demonstrated

3. ASSIST ONLY with medications

C. Light housekeeping to maintain a healthy, safe environment

1. Dusting, vacuuming, damp mopping

2. Laundry

3. Wash dishes

4. Shopping

5. Meal preparation

6. Assist with payment of bills

D. Promote the patient’s mental alertness through conversation, reading, games, and other activities

E. Report any changes in patient’s mental or physical condition to the supervisor.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. The Personal Care Aide must successfully complete an approved training course to carry out assigned activities
2. Be 18 years of age, show maturity, emotional and mental stability
3. Possess a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.
4. Shall be able to speak, read and write English, and speak the predominant language of the resident
5. Understand and carry out directions and instructions, record messages, and keep simple records
6. Sympathetic attitude towards providing services for the residents
7. Have good physical health, as indicated by documentation in the Human Resources Files
8. Must participate in 12 or more hours of in-service education per year