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Lindsay Gentis
Apr 26, 20222 min read

Do's and Don'ts of Being a Caregiver/PCA

A Personal Care Attendant (or PCA) is a trained caregiver who assists with daily living. They can assist seniors who want to stay in the comfort of their home and just need some extra assistance in managing their daily activities. While PCA's are trained, they do not require any certification or licensing, like nursing assistants or HHAs. They do provide a much-needed service to people who can no longer care for themselves or handle basic life functions on their own.

At HomeCourt Home Care, we provide a lot of training, guidance, and information on tasks that are expected of a PCA. During our 4-hour long orientation, our care coordinator goes over many techniques and guidelines, so our caregivers are prepared and excited about starting their first shift. The following list of Do's and Don'ts describes activities caregivers can and can't help with. This is not an all-inclusive list but gives general guidelines for them to follow.


DO's

  • Bathing

  • Toileting/empty catheter bag

  • Grooming/dressing

  • Meal preparation/cooking

  • Ambulation assistance including gait belt, walker, cane assistance

  • Assist with incontinence care

  • Assist with transfer to bed/chair/toilet

  • Medications reminders (not administering, measuring, cutting or crushing)

  • Oral hygiene assistance/prompting

  • Light housekeeping

  • Laundry

  • Check mail and assist with small pet care

  • Errands

  • Companionship

DON'Ts

  • Wound care/dressing or bandage changing

  • Provide transportation for a client without being approved by the office first

  • Changing catheter bag

  • Measuring medications/setting up medication boxes

  • Lift clients

  • Driving without prior authorization from the office

  • Shovel snow

  • Burn trash

  • Climb ladders

  • Move furniture or haul heavy trash cans

  • Offer advice on medical care/financial matters

  • Gardening, more than just handing clients small gardening tools

  • Washing windows that are difficult to reach

  • Mow grass

If you have questions or are interested in working for HomeCourt Home Care, please give us a call at (260) 333-1114 or visit our Careers page to fill out an application. https://www.homecourthomecare.com/careers

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