What Does a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Actually Do?

Today, we’re walking through what a PCA's daily duties look like. If you’re new to caregiving lingo, we’ll start with the basics: “PCA” stands for “Personal Care Assistant.” 

Read on for more details about what a PCA does, the type of training you can expect to receive on your journey to becoming a Personal Care Assistant, as well as the types of people who can receive PCA care. 

Typical Duties of a Personal Care Assistant

Technically speaking, here are the duties a PCA can provide: 

• Activities of daily living
• Health related procedures and tasks
• Observation and redirection of behaviors
• Instrumental activities of daily living

Here’s what that looks like in a practical sense: 

• Routine cleaning
• Meal preparation 
• Light housekeeping (e.g. laundry, dishes, tidying, etc.)
• Personal hygiene assistance (e.g. bathing, grooming, skincare, etc.)
• Dressing and undressing
• Feeding
• Assistance with exercise
• Medication reminders
• Monitoring and recording vital signs
• Transportation to appointments and other errands
• Companionship

Keep in mind that a PCA’s exact responsibilities are always determined by a care plan, which will be formulated with the client’s PCA assessment. That assessment is completed by a nurse. At Best Care, we can guide you through this process, step-by-step. 

What Training Does a Personal Care Assistant Receive? 

Best Care PCA’s receive quality, easy-to-follow training through our Training Portal. All PCA’s receive training in areas such as first aid, CPR, vital sign reading, caregiving best practices, and much more.

To learn more, give us a call at (651) 330-2550. 

Typical Clients that PCA’s Serve

PCA’s can provide caregiving services to just about anyone who is in need of support. Most commonly, PCA’s work with elderly individuals or people with special needs. 

Remember: The experts at Best Care are ready to help guide you on your home care journey!