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Home Health Care

Personal Care Assistant – Do I Need This Service?

Minnesota family pcaIf you come home directly from the hospital, the chances are you still need help with daily tasks. Few people find such help from relatives or friends. However, what if you do not have someone close (relative or friend) to help you? What if everyone around you is busy? Well, you will benefit from hiring a Personal Care Assistant (PCA). Remember, even if your situation is temporary, you will benefit from hiring a professional Personal Care Assistant.

Before taking the step or making the big decision to hire a PCA, below are a few things you need to consider.

What Needs Do You Have?

The first thing to take into account is your daily needs. By identifying the need, you will be able to get the right PCA. In other words, do you need assistance with physical tasks like dressing, bladder and bowel routines, bathing, and transferring? Or assistance with daily tasks like transportation, laundry, and cooking? Or medical assistance like wound dressing, taking medication, and taking care of persons with Alzheimer’s, stroke, dementia, and others?

It is important to note that different tasks or assistance needs will dictate the person to hire. For example, if you need help with medical assistance, the person you will hire must be trained in this specific field (often a Nursing Degree) and different from one who is offering physical task assistance.

You can also decide to choose an assistant based on gender if your need is gender-based. In a nutshell, your need will play a part in the professional you will get.

Can I Afford This Service?

When it comes to the service’s cost, the first place to look at is the insurance cover. It is wise to learn the care types provided under certain circumstances based on your insurance cover. If, therefore, you need more care than what your social programs or insurance policy can cover, then what are you able to pay out-of-pocket?

The truth is that the amount you will spend on a Personal Care Assistant depends greatly on how much you can afford to pay. For example, if you have limited funds, you need to ask yourself if you can get by with only a few hours of help per day; or look for ways to finance 24-hour care.

By answering these simple questions, you will get a rough idea if you can begin searching for a Personal Care Assistant.

The Process Of Looking For A PCA

After identifying your budget and criteria, you have to look at the level of experience you need. For example, if you are looking for someone experienced, it would be wise to find help from local nursing or a home care agency. Home care agencies offer highly skilled and experienced professional careers. Do not forget that you have to interview them to know if they are a good fit or for you. In summary, going to a nursing agency will start you off at a specific standard.

If experience is not a top priority for you and willing to help train a Personal Care Assistance, you can start by placing online and offline ads. Be clear with your expectations and what you need. Another great way to find a PCA is through local Job listings and word of mouth. There are some neighborhoods and churches that will allow you to place an ad in their newspapers.

The Interview Process

After placing an ad or seeking a professional through home care agencies, you have to interview the applicants to know if they are a good fit or not. It is wise to interview each applicant at least twice and never gloss over the requirements. It is wise to show the applicants a list of your needs or requirements from the beginning. Be honest in everything like working hours, salary, and if they will be able to work on holiday and day-offs.

It is crucial to not only ensure the applicant can do the job, but do it exactly as you want. Do not forget to ask for references; generally, at least three. References will help you know the character of the person you want to give the job.

NOTE: A good interview question should be open-ended. What does this mean? Well, these questions generally require longer and more detailed responses. A simple YES or NO question will not give you an idea or knowledge of the person you want to employ, their communication skills, level of understanding, and more.

The Final Decision

If, for instance, you find more than one qualified applicant and all are a good fit for the job, then you will need to find a way to eliminate others and hire one. The best way to do this is by having them observe your care for the day. Doing this will give them an idea and decide if the job is something they feel excited and qualified to handle. On the other hand, it will help you judge if they are comfortable with the requirements. With this information, you can make the right call.