Personal Care Aide (PCA) Training

The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) allows the provider agencies to offer a Personal Care Aide (PCA) training course.

DMAS has developed the curriculum to be used by providers to establish uniform training. The course must provide a minimum of 40 hours of nursing aide and personal care assistant training.

Graduates of the PCA course are only authorized to provide personal care/nursing aide services to Medicaid waiver recipients.  All students must understand that the Virginia State Board of Nursing, medical facilities, or other state nursing boards will not recognize this course. DMAS Waiver Programs is the only authorized agency to recognize this training. 

The Personal Care Aide training curriculum is not intended to comprise all nursing information, instead it is designed to provide practical training that is appropriate for personal care nursing aides. DMAS created the curriculum to ensure that certain issues and subject areas are taught to students who will be providing medical services.

All techniques, procedure tasks, and assigned duties within this curriculum will be demonstrated by the student and observed by the trainer prior to the student being assigned a recipient in an independent setting.

DMAS – Community Personal Care

Introduction

  • DMAS Requirements
  • Agency Requirements

The Elderly

  • Aspects of Aging
  • Needs of the Elderly
  • Critical Situations
  • Physical Disabilities and Handicaps

Personal and Rehabilitative Services

  • Personal Rehabilitation and Respite Care
  • Goals, limitations of roles

Techniques

  • Communication, Documentation, and Interpersonal Relationship
  • Medical Asepsis
  • Safety and Accident Prevention and Emergency Management
  • Body Mechanics
  • Range of Motion
  • Lifting, Moving, and Transfer, Ambulating
  • Providing Personal Care
  • Food Nutrition and Meal Preparation

Certificate of Completion

PCA Student Requirements

  • Must be 18 years or older
  • Must be able to read and write in English at the level necessary to read and understand written training material
  • Must be physically able to perform the tasks and duties required of a personal assistant
  • Must be able to prepare aide records
  • Must be willing to assume financial responsibility for cost of the course

Course Information

  • The classes are held Monday-Friday.  A clean uniform must be worn every class period along with clean white shoes/sneakers.
  • The cost of the course is $365 (non refundable) due prior to the start of class. Two  forms of identification are required.   The cost of a criminal background check is included. The cost of PPD screening  is $7.00