What Does it Take to Be a Personal Care Aide?
Career 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
- Participate in case reviews, consulting with the team caring for the client, to evaluate the client’s needs and plan for continuing services.
- Plan, shop for, or prepare nutritious meals or assist families in planning, shopping for, or preparing nutritious meals.
- Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
- Administer bedside or personal care, such as ambulation or personal hygiene assistance.
- Perform healthcare-related tasks, such as monitoring vital signs and medication, under the direction of registered nurses or physiotherapists.
- Instruct or advise clients on issues such as household cleanliness, utilities, hygiene, nutrition, or infant care.
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.
Types of Personal Care Aide
- Home Help Aide
- Geriatric Aide
- Family Member Caretaker
- Convalescent Sitter
- Live in Caregiver
Is There Job Demand for Personal Care Aides?
In the United States, there were 2,016,100 jobs for Personal Care Aide in 2016. 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. The BLS estimates 414,300 yearly job openings in this field.
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.
Salary for a Personal Care Aide
The salary for Personal Care Aides ranges between about $18,740 and $31,650 a year.
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 |
What Tools & Technology do Personal Care Aides Use?
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
Becoming a Personal Care Aide
What education or degrees do I need to become a Personal Care Aide?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Personal Care Aide?
Where Personal Care Aides Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Personal Care Aide may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Personal Care Aide sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
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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