PCA Choice vs Traditional PCA – Which is Right for Your Home Care Services?

In order to receive home care services in the state of Minnesota, individuals must work with a PCA provider agency that is enrolled with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Then they need to decide whether they will work with a PCA Choice or Traditional PCA Agency. While this process helps to ensure that people have choices in how their services are delivered, it can also be rather confusing. We here at Best Home Care provide educational tools to make it easier to understand the complexities of home care. Below is an overview of the two kinds of PCA provider options available to Minnesotans:

PCA Choice

The PCA Choice option gives people more control of their at home care than the Traditional PCA model. People on the PCA Choice model receive less frequent qualified professional or nurse visits, as they are the ones primarily responsible for their care. PCA Choice recipients are also responsible for:

• Hiring, training, supervising and scheduling their staff
• Maintaining a written agreement with their PCA Choice provider agency
• Working with their PCA to make sure their health and safety needs are met
• Developing their own home care plan
• Providing their own back up staffing in case of an emergency

Traditional PCA

Under this option, the provider agency (either a Personal Care Provider Organization or a Medicare-certified Home Health Agency) is responsible for the administrative tasks surrounding the personal care assistant providing care. People on the PCA Traditional model receive more frequent qualified professional or nurse visits so the agency can be sure services are meeting care plan goals. The agency is also responsible for:

• Hiring, training, supervising and scheduling staff
• Monitoring and evaluating PCA staff to ensure care plan goals are being met
• Developing a care plan to meet the goals identified at the nurse assessment
• Maintaining back up staffing in case of an emergency

NOTE: Under either the PCA Choice or Traditional PCA models people are entitled to have a caregiver of their choosing. Meaning whether you are PCA Choice or PCA Traditional you get to choose your caregiver, and can have that caregiver be your close friend or relative.

What is the PCA Agency Responsible for?

Home care agencies have several responsibilities whether they are a Traditional or PCA Choice agency. All Minnesota PCA agencies must:

• Perform criminal background checks on PCAs
• Ensure workers have completed proper PCA training
• Provide qualified professional supervision
• Pay and withhold taxes for PCAs
• Bill the State for completed services
• Maintain written agreements with clients and PCAs
• Maintain documentation of services including timesheets
• Maintain enrollment with the Department of Human Services

Best Home Care is proud to be a PCA Choice and Traditional PCA provider agency. We’ve helped hundreds of people find the home care solutions they need and we look forward to helping you! Contact our home care professionals to learn more about PCA Choice and Traditional PCA options and find which one is right for you.

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