Certified Personal Care Aides offer advantages to consumer and providers

It’s not a job requirement. But – wow – are employers jumping on board.

For caregivers working in community based care settings (home care, assisted living or residential care, typically), few pre-employment requirements exist. The federal government has just recently agreed on a job title – Personal Care Aide – for caregivers in these settings. Training? Certification? Not so much.

But for employers hiring caregivers in these settings, pre-employment certification means two things: an individual who has taken the time and initiative to build their skills, and a crucial time-and-money savings in the need for post-employment training.

For the consumer, it’s a win-win, too. Knowing that the person providing care to your loved one is a Certified Personal Care Aide (PCA) can provide greater peace of mind and confidence. Finding an agency that saves money on new hires can possibly result in savings for the consumer, too, or at the very least a stronger, more viable business model for the agency.

We’ve been introducing this idea to employers in our home state of Oregon. So far, employers are very excited about the prospect of hiring pre-certified PCAs. Many of them know the quality of our online training programs through courses they currently use in training their staff. They can see the advantages to them and to their clients very clearly.

Watch closely for further developments on this program as we prepare to launch it first here in Oregon, and later throughout the entire country.

We just may be able to change the face of caregiving in the U.S. today.