What is Home Care--Home Care Paraprofessionals

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Home Care Paraprofessionals

• Personal Care Aides (PCAs) provide services to persons needing some or total assistance with everyday tasks, including such things as personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, walking, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry. PCAs provide services to help clients stay in the home and live independently. There are two levels of PCAs, Level I and II. PCA I employees perform homemaker functions and have no physical contact with the client. The PCA II employees are responsible for all of Level I functions as well as personal care tasks, including among other things assistance with personal hygiene, dressing, walking, and transferring. PCA II employees are required to attend a 40-hour basic training course and attend in-service training throughout the year.

• Home Health Aides (HHAs)1are the highest level of paraprofessional in home care. HHAs are responsible for health-related as well as personal care tasks. These health-related tasks include monitoring the client's health status by taking temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, and assisting with basic health tasks that allow the client to remain at home. HHAs must follow a plan of care and perform tasks outlined by a registered nurse, and if problems or changes in the client's condition, they are responsible for immediately notifying the supervising nurse. HHAs are required to complete a 75-hour training program, which includes both classroom and laboratory/in-home training, and attend in-service training throughout the year.

 

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What is Home Care? Types of Home Care Agencies Home Care Paraprofessionals Home Care Programs and Services

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