PCA Choice Option vs Traditional PCA Option

Under PCA Choice, you must:

- Find, hire, train, schedule and fire your staff

-Find back up PCA staff

-Monitor and evaluate your staff

-Maintain a written agreement with your PCA Choice provider agency

-Maintain documentation of PCA tasks and actions

-Work with your qualified professional to make sure your health and safety needs are met

-Develop your care plan, with help from your qualified professional if needed

-Sign time sheets

The benefits of the PCA Choice option offers you greater control and choice. By choosing this option, you the consumer are acting as the employer of your direct support workers. That is referred to as "participant employer." You are responsible for the finding, hiring, training, scheduling and firing of your staff. You are also responsible for finding your own back up staff and developing your own care plan. 

Under Traditional PCA Option the agency:

-Assures your staff have orientation and complete required training

-Bills the state for PCA services

-Bills the state for qualified professional supervision

-Finds back up staff

-Finds, hires, trains, schedules and fires staff

-Gets criminal background checks

-Hires your qualified professional (QP)

-Maintains enrollment with the state

-Makes an agreement with your responsible party

-Monitors and evaluates staff

-Pays and withholds taxes.

The benefits of Traditional PCA services are if  a loved one is in a situation where s/he is unsure of what help or personal assistance s/he requires, it’s beneficial to have a home-care agency step in and help the individual determine the type of care needed and also help find the right caregiver. In addition, clients that utilize the Traditional PCA model receive more frequent nurse visits, so we can assure services are meeting care plan goals. 

You can only have one PCA Choice agency. You cannot use both a Traditional PCA provide  agency and a PCA Choice provider agency at the same time. If you have questions about which program is right for you, please call Love Care & Beyond LLC and we will be happy to assist you.