People with disabilities living at home are looking to hire personal care assistants or personal care attendants, also known as PCAs.
Personal care assistants are needed by children and adults with disabilities and elders who have lost function due to the aging process.
Work for an individual in Massachusetts
When you work for an individual in their home, you have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life—and develop a close, long-lasting relationship. You may have worked previously as a PCA, personal care assistant, personal care attendant, direct care worker or direct support professional. If you have experience in these jobs, you may want to register as a PCA.
You also may want to work as a PCA if you have worked as an aide, home-health aide, support specialist, licensed nursing assistant, or in-home service provider.
Most importantly, a PCA works with people with disabilities to help them live more independently.
Mass.gov/findpca and RewardingWork.org provide a service for PCAs and Direct Care Workers to apply for FREE for full-time and part-time jobs working for individuals. You may list your information, including certification and experience, on the PCA directory applicant list. Only subscribers have access to this protected list. To apply, call toll-free 1-866-211-WORK (9675) or click here.
The biggest difference between working for an agency and working directly for an individual is that when you work for an individual, that person is your employer. When you work for an agency, the agency is your employer.
PCAs are hired directly by the people with whom they work (or their families).
When you work directly for an individual, that person (or family member) will set the terms of your employment, including your responsibilities and hours of work. You and your employer, of course, will reach agreement on these important matters before you start work.
In Massachusetts many consumers who use Mass.gov/pcadirectory or RewardingWork.org receive PCA services through MassHealth and their PCAs are funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Click here to learn more about the MassHealth PCA program.
You may wish to check to see if your name is on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) maintained by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. State Medicaid programs can NOT pay for a worker whose name is on the LEIE.
Click here to learn about being a personal care assistant and why other people like you decided to work for individuals needing PCAs.
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