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The Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program is a MassHealth
program that assists people with long-term disabilities
live at home independently. This is a consumer-directed
program, which provides personal care services for people
with disabilities.
Through our PCA Program, the Options program
serves about 2,500 individuals living in Massachusetts,
including Cape Cod and the Islands. This program serves
people of all ages, disabilities and backgrounds. Options
has staff who speak Spanish, Portuguese and Cape Verdean
Creole.
Personal Care Attendants are hired, trained
and supervised by the person with the disability (consumer).
PCAs do not work for OPTIONS, or any other agency - they
work for the consumer. As the employer, a consumer chooses
who to hire, sets up a PCA schedule and trains PCAs to meet
his or her own personal needs. PCAs are paid based on timesheets
that are sent to the Fiscal Intermediary.
If the consumer cannot independently manage
his or her PCA program, the consumer may have the help of
a surrogate. The surrogate is often a family member but
may be any other person identified by the consumer who has
the ability to manage the program.
PCAs can help with Activities
of Daily Living (ADLs) such as:
• mobility/transfers
• taking medications
• bathing or grooming
• dressing or undressing
• passive Range-of-Motion exercises
• eating
• toileting
PCAs can also help with Instrumental
Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) such as:
• laundry
• shopping
• housekeeping
• meal preparation and clean-up
• transportation to medical appointments
• maintaining adaptive equipment
If a consumer needs help at night, such as for
repositioning or toileting etc., PCA time can be approved
for Night Attendant services.
PCA time is NOT approved for:
• babysitting
• recreation
• advocacy
• cueing, prompting, guiding or coaching
• supervision
• safety
Payroll and tax filing and reporting are usually
handled by the Fiscal Intermediary, although some consumers
do choose to handle this function themselves. PCAs are covered
by Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance.
ELIGIBILITY
The Personal Care Attendant program is available
to people with disabilities who meet the following conditions:
• Personal Care Services are prescribed
by a physician or nurse practitioner
• Have a permanent or chronic disability that impairs
their ability to perform activities of daily living without
physical assistance.
• Needs physical assistance with two or more activities
of daily living
Consumers must be able to manage the PCA program
themselves, or have someone available to help them as surrogate.
There are no age limits.
OTHER SERVICES
If an individual is not eligible for the PCA
program, Options’ staff will help the consumer to
identify other services that might meet their needs. These
services might include:
• Home Health Aides
• Elder Services – for more information, go
to
• Homemakers – for more information, go to:
• Respite
• Flexible family support
• Hospice
• Group Adult Foster Care
REFERRAL PROCESS
Options works with individuals referred to us
by:
• Consumers themselves
• Visiting Nurse Agencies
• Hospitals
• Doctors
• State and local agencies
• Community organizations
• Friends
• Families
Each Options consumer is assigned to a Skills
Trainer, who helps the consumer through the application
process, and gives the consumer and/or surrogate the training
they need to manage their PCA program. Options provide the
initial evaluation, which results in a recommendation as
to the number of hours. PCA services are approved and paid
for by MassHealth, which has the final approval on whether
a consumer is eligible for the PCA program, and if so, on
the number of hours per week which a consumer may use. Approvals
are usually good for one year. Annual re-evaluations are
done by our RN consultants.
It takes about two to three months to complete
the evaluation and approval process. During this time, consumers
may continue receiving services from other sources.
If you would like to find out
more about the PCA Program please call the program office,
toll free at: (800) 924-7570 or (508) 880-7577.
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