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Information Reviewed: Personal Care Assistants: How to Find, Hire, and Keep Them
Author(s): The Research and Training Center on Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury
Source: Englewood, CO: The Research and Training Center on Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury
Date: n.d.
Type: Booklet
Overview:

More than 40% of people with spinal cord injuries use some form of assistance. This percentage increases with age. For first-time personal assistant employers, here are some tips:

  • Get organized and group tasks. Decide which part of your day requires the least amount of flexibility and move your personal chores to that part of the day. If the morning is busy, an assistant can help with minimal, get-the-day-started chores. Then, an assistant can do more time-intensive chores in the evening when time is more available.
  • Use Centers for Independent Living, student services, association chapters, and the local library as resources to learn about being an effective employer and manager.
  • Get money smart. Medicaid waivers can sometimes be sued for services. Think about hiring college students who have flexible schedules and need money. Barter services.
  • Write a contract about tasks that need to be performed and your expectations.
  • Decide on recruiting. Home health care agencies? Do the hiring yourself? Even if you need little care, have back-up assistants. From Home Health Aides: How to Manage the People Who Help You, the top 10 reasons care assistants quit their jobs:

  • The initial job description was incomplete and changes too often.
  • Duty organization is illogical, inefficient, and time wasting.
  • The work environment is messy and disorganized.
  • Pay is inefficient or lack of appreciation.
  • Another assistant is preferred.
  • The employer is too passive or aggressive.
  • The employer is dishonest about salary, hours, etc.
  • There are unreasonable duties.
  • The employer is intolerant.
  • There is a lack of respect for assistant's personal life.

    For more information contact The Research and Training Center on Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury, The Research Department, Craig Hospital, 3425 South Clarkson St., Englewood, CO 80110, (800) 5REHAB8, RTC Web site

    This research was supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in the U.S. Department of Education. #116

    The Research and Training Center on Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury. (n.d.). Personal care assistants: How to find, hire, and keep them. Englewood, CO: The Research and Training Center on Aging With a Spinal Cord Injury.

    Keyword: Personal assistance

    Copyright. The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Independent Living.

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    Reviewer: Cindy Higgins

    Copyright ©2010