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What You Need to Know About Personal Care Aide

Personal Care Aide Job Description Assist the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person’s home or in a care facility. Duties performed at a place of residence may include keeping house (making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes) and preparing meals. May provide assistance at non-residential care facilities. May advise families, the elderly, convalescents, and persons with disabilities regarding such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and household activities.

Life As a Personal Care Aide: What Do They Do?

  • Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle.
  • Perform housekeeping duties, such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes or dishes, or running errands.
  • 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.
  • Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
  • Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client’s needs and plan for continuing services.

Things a Personal Care Aide Should Know How to Do

Personal Care Aides state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

  • State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA)
  • Patient Sitter
  • Direct Support Professional
  • Caregiver
  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Job Opportunities for Personal Care Aides

There were about 2,016,100 jobs for Personal Care Aide in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 38.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 777,700 new jobs for Personal Care Aide by 2026. There will be an estimated 414,300 positions for Personal Care Aide per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Personal Care Aide are Virginia, Arizona, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Maryland, or Pennsylvania. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Personal Care Aide Salary

The average yearly salary of a Personal Care Aide ranges between $18,740 and $31,650.

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Personal Care Aides who work in Alaska, North Dakota, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Personal Care Aides in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $19,250
Alaska $33,840
Arizona $24,440
Arkansas $21,390
California $27,210
Colorado $26,410
Connecticut $27,300
Delaware $23,840
District of Columbia $30,440
Florida $23,390
Georgia $22,540
Hawaii $27,530
Idaho $22,970
Illinois $24,600
Indiana $22,830
Iowa $25,050
Kansas $21,920
Kentucky $25,740
Louisiana $19,300
Maine $25,490
Maryland $26,910
Massachusetts $29,080
Michigan $24,230
Minnesota $26,260
Mississippi $20,800
Missouri $23,020
Montana $24,250
Nebraska $26,230
Nevada $23,580
New Hampshire $26,900
New Jersey $29,890
New Mexico $21,020
New York $27,640
North Carolina $21,660
North Dakota $32,890
Ohio $23,530
Oklahoma $20,270
Oregon $26,980
Pennsylvania $24,880
Rhode Island $27,190
South Carolina $20,990
South Dakota $24,400
Tennessee $21,060
Texas $19,960
Utah $25,740
Vermont $30,750
Virginia $21,240
Washington $29,140
West Virginia $20,760
Wisconsin $24,250
Wyoming $26,780

Tools & Technologies Used by Personal Care Aides

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Personal Care Aides may use on a daily basis:

  • Email software
  • Word processing software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • MEDITECH software

How do I Become a Personal Care Aide?

Learn what Personal Care Aide education requirements there are.

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Personal Care Aide?

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Where Personal Care Aides Work

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being a Personal Care Aide may also be interested in:

Career changers with experience as a Personal Care Aide sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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