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Overview

JOB DUTIES AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: Personal Assistants and Home Care Aides

Personal assistants and home care aides provide personal assistance and support to clients with long-term disabilities. In addition to helping with personal care, they often help with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as housekeeping, meal preparation, medication management, shopping, and bill paying. Personal care assistants who are employed and supervised directly by consumers often provide clinical assistance as well.

In addition to working in people's homes, personal care assistants work in other community-based settings, such as adult day centers and group homes. Most workers are employed by an agency, but many work directly for consumers. A number of states have created public authorities that serve as the employers of record for personal assistants working with Medicaid beneficiaries who direct their own care. This allows the workers to access health care, training, and other benefits and to join a union, if desired.

Training Requirements

There are no federal training requirements for personal assistance workers, but some states have their own requirements. For information about your state click here. Some employers also have their own training requirements.

For information about the U.S. Department of Labor about personal assistant and home care aide career paths, click here.

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