A Personal Care Attendant (or PCA) is a trained caregiver who assists with daily living. They can assist seniors who want to stay in the comfort of their home and just need some extra assistance in managing their daily activities. While PCA's are trained, they do not require any certification or licensing, like nursing assistants or HHAs. They do provide a much-needed service to people who can no longer care for themselves or handle basic life functions on their own.
At HomeCourt Home Care, we provide a lot of training, guidance, and information on tasks that are expected of a PCA. During our 4-hour long orientation, our care coordinator goes over many techniques and guidelines, so our caregivers are prepared and excited about starting their first shift. The following list of Do's and Don'ts describes activities caregivers can and can't help with. This is not an all-inclusive list but gives general guidelines for them to follow.
DO's
Bathing
Toileting/empty catheter bag
Grooming/dressing
Meal preparation/cooking
Ambulation assistance including gait belt, walker, cane assistance
Assist with incontinence care
Assist with transfer to bed/chair/toilet
Medications reminders (not administering, measuring, cutting or crushing)
Oral hygiene assistance/prompting
Light housekeeping
Laundry
Check mail and assist with small pet care
Errands
Companionship
DON'Ts
Wound care/dressing or bandage changing
Provide transportation for a client without being approved by the office first
Changing catheter bag
Measuring medications/setting up medication boxes
Lift clients
Driving without prior authorization from the office
Shovel snow
Burn trash
Climb ladders
Move furniture or haul heavy trash cans
Offer advice on medical care/financial matters
Gardening, more than just handing clients small gardening tools
Washing windows that are difficult to reach
Mow grass
If you have questions or are interested in working for HomeCourt Home Care, please give us a call at (260) 333-1114 or visit our Careers page to fill out an application. https://www.homecourthomecare.com/careers