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Essential Information on How to Become a PCA
A personal care assistant (PCA) helps the elderly and/or those with disabilities to carry out everyday tasks, such as taking care of their personal hygiene, helping them run errands, administering medication, or simply offering companionship. Personal care assistants generally come to the person's home, but they may also work in assisted living facilities. If you're wondering how to become a PCA, and if you're suited to the job, read below.
You must be compassionate, patient, and meticulous to work as a PCA. PCA requirements include a strong drive to help others and the organizational skills to stay on top of a wide variety of tasks that a patient may need to be completed on any given day. PCAs are generally physically fit as their jobs may require heavy lifting and spending a lot of time on their feet.
Personal care assistant certificate of completion programs and PCA training classes are offered by a number of community colleges throughout the United States. These PCA programs can be taken as non-credit options or as a prerequisite to a nursing or medical assistant program. Toward the close of the PCA program, students complete a clinical internship that provides direct contact with patients in a home healthcare setting. PCA programs vary in length. The curriculum consists of sensitivity training, personal care equipment operations (such as stair lifters and wheelchairs), and fundamental coursework in anatomy and physiology.
Requirements for PCA programs include a high school diploma or GED, a current immunization record, CPR or healthcare provider certification and liability insurance. They also must pass a tuberculosis test, a drug screening, and a criminal background check.
Graduates of these programs could meet state requirements for the profession and might be eligible to take the Home Care Aide certification examination, offered through the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. Affiliations with some organizations, such as MetLife or Goodwill, could decrease the cost of these programs for eligible students.
No state requires a personal care assistant to have a PCA license.
What is PCA Certification?
A personal care assistance certificate can usually be earned in one year or less. Coursework covers topics in emergency care, medical terminology, and issues in personal care ethics. Aspiring PCAs learn to assist clients with getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, eating, house cleaning, and preparing meals. Personal care assistant training might also include the following topics of discussion
- Medical terminology
- First aid
- Hygiene
- Dementia
- Infection control
Employment Outlook and Salary Info
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of personal care aide jobs was expected to grow by 34% between 2019 and 2029, much faster than average, which would mean many opportunities for those interested in becoming a PCA. The median annual salary of personal care aides in May 2019 was $25,280 per BLS data.
PCA Certification Information
Graduates of certificate programs could meet eligibility requirements for a range of PCA certification programs, such as the one offered by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. If you are wondering how to become PCA certified, the requirements are straightforward: applicants must apply and pay the processing fee, complete a 30-hour online training class, and pass an online examination. There are different sets of prerequisites depending on your background - for example, if you do not have a bachelor's or master's degree, you must be certified from a recognized accreditation agency as a health care assistant and you must have at least a year's experience working full-time in a relevant setting (such as in a hospice or administering home care).
| Prerequisites | Bachelor's or master's degree OR health care professional license, as well as a minimum of 1 year's experience working full-time in a hospice, nursing home or as a home care assistant |
| Training format | Online |
| Program length | 30 hours |
| Fees | $105 course fee; $135 application fee ($240 total) |
Personal care assistant certificate programs prepare graduates for the field, as they learn about age-related illnesses, infections, medical vocabulary, grooming, and meal preparation.
