Personal Care Aides

Also called : Caregiver, Home Care Aide, Medication Aide, Patient Care Assistant (PCA), Personal Care Aide, Personal Care Assistant (PCA), Personal Care Attendant (PCA), Resident Care Assistant (RCA)

What they do

Provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. Work is performed in various settings depending on the needs of the care recipient and may include locations such as their home, place of work, out in the community, or at a

On the job, one would

Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.

Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.

Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.

Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client's needs and plan for continuing services.

Care for individuals or families during periods of incapacitation, family disruption, or convalescence, providing companionship, personal care, or help in adjusting to new lifestyles.

KNOWLEDGE

Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

SKILLS

Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

ABILITIES

Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

PERSONALITY

People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.

Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Related Occupations

Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers

Funeral Attendants

Passenger Attendants

TECHNOLOGY

Calendar and scheduling software

Computer based training software

Data base reporting software

Electronic mail software

Medical software

Optical character reader OCR or scanning software

Spreadsheet software

Video conferencing software

Word processing software

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Preparation
Some Preparation Needed
Education
High school diploma.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed.
Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.