Training the Personal and Home Care Aide Workforce

Personal care aides (PCAs) are critical to meeting the need for low-cost, high-quality care for frail older adults at home. Developing this workforce entails not only increasing its size but also ensuring that PCAs possess the skills necessary to deliver competent, safe, and respectful care. Yet, no...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Home health care management & practice 2015-08, Vol.27 (3), p.150
Main Authors: Luz, Clare, Hanson, Katherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attrition
Care assistants
Competence
Frail
Home health care
Labor force
Older people
Quality of care
Socioeconomic factors
Workforce
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Personal care aides (PCAs) are critical to meeting the need for low-cost, high-quality care for frail older adults at home. Developing this workforce entails not only increasing its size but also ensuring that PCAs possess the skills necessary to deliver competent, safe, and respectful care. Yet, no federal PCA competencies or training requirements exist, and state requirements vary widely. In 2010, a 77-hour PCA model training program was developed as part of a national demonstration. However, a key finding of this study was that many enrollees faced serious socio-economic challenges that prevented them from graduating. This report details findings from a survey sent to all non-completers to ascertain reasons for attrition and improve program success. It offers recommendations for future program planners.
ISSN:1084-8223
1552-6739
DOI:10.1177/1084822314566301