The Role of the Personal Care Aide

Presented by Medbridge Team

The Role of the Personal Care Aide
This course introduces the role of the personal care aide and the day-to-day work of safely supporting clients in their own homes. Aides will receive an overview of what personal care entails, how the care plan guides their duties, how to remain within their scope of practice, and how to observe, report, and document changes. Interactive scenarios and a final scenario-based assessment allow aides to practice applying these skills in realistic situations.

Course Outcomes
1. Describe what personal care services are, and the settings and clients a personal care aide typically supports
2. Explain the role and scope of practice of the personal care aide
3. Identify the personal care aide’s core duties across activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and how those duties are set by the care plan
4. Apply a step-by-step method for determining whether a task is within scope, and recognize when to escalate to a supervisor
5. Describe the personal care aide’s responsibilities for observation, reporting, and documentation, and when those observations must be escalated

This course was written in alignment with the federal definition of Medicaid personal care services under 42 CFR §440.167 (Personal care services), reflecting the scope and expectations relevant to personal care aide services (including tasks tied to activities of daily living within the care plan): Estimated Runtime: 30 minutes

Reviewed and approved by
Kim Tate, RN, BSN

NOTE: This course is not a substitute for legal advice for any individual provider or situation. Always consult your company's legal or compliance personnel with any questions or concerns related to this subject matter.

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Medbridge Team

Combining powerful digital patient care tools with the highest-quality education, Medbridge is committed to making healthcare better for both providers and patients. Organizations across the care continuum use Medbridge to provide an enriched, digitally enabled experience that engages patients while streamlining and…

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Chapters & learning objectives

The Role of the Personal Care Aide

1. The Role of the Personal Care Aide

Aides get an overview of the personal care aide role, including how the care plan guides their duties and how to stay within the scope of practice. Aides also learn to observe, report, and document client changes, then practice these skills through interactive, scenario-based assessments.

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