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A personal care assistant provides basic medical and personal assistance to individuals who require help with their daily activities. This includes assisting with bathing, grooming, dressing, and medication management. They also provide emotional support to their clients. Personal care assistants work in settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and private residences. They must be empathetic, and patient, and have a strong ability to multitask. Personal care assistants are vital in helping individuals maintain their quality of life.
Penny Ridenour
Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Avg. Salary $26,643
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 36%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.20%
Asian 8.69%
Black or African American 10.31%
Hispanic or Latino 16.21%
Unknown 4.40%
White 59.19%
Genderfemale 85.03%
male 14.97%
Age - 50American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 50Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Pros
Opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience in the healthcare field
Chance to develop personal relationships with clients
Opportunity to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
Potential for advancement or promotions within the field
Opportunity to make a positive impact on someone's life
Cons
Physical and emotional demands of the job can be exhausting
Potential for exposure to contagious illnesses and diseases
Long hours and unpredictable schedules
Emotional toll of watching clients decline in health or pass away
Lack of support or recognition from employers or society as a whole
Skills | Percentages |
---|---|
Patients | 16.91% |
CPR | 11.78% |
Home Health | 11.76% |
RUN Errands | 6.80% |
Companionship | 6.44% |
Personal care assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific personal care assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for personal care assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your personal care assistant resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a personal care assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Now it's time to start searching for a personal care assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
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The average personal care assistant salary in the United States is $26,643 per year or $13 per hour. Personal care assistant salaries range between $18,000 and $37,000 per year.
What am I worth?
Very fulfilling and rewarding
Hard work, not enough staff, mandated a lot. Under appreciated!
The ability to show care, love & compassion to those whom have none or family can't give time to show any. It's like being the missing piece to a puzzle we all if lucky enough get to live long enough to experience. It's making someones day by just remembering to watch their hands and face before/ after meals. To give proper attention to teeth, to let dressing am or pm still br a choice they make. I know im a good human with an oversized caring heart and although sometimes its exhausting working extra hrs or having to do all or extra work on short staffed days it's worth it. And slow and steady wins the day. They are people whom have gone through & experienced more then we will ever get too.
All the changes with certification and how you can be on the floor of a facility and know not even common sense. How they have hospitality aides, hca, and people going to start a free class. Back in the day we were called glorified babysitters I never agreed until we have just a warm body with no license(s) whom can't do anything even as small as getting ice waters. I've worked hard tobe where i am and these people take a computer class and pass we would call that our continuing education hrs but what do i know after 23 yrs. I once REALLY loved my job and still do but it's almost like being in grade school with people who have phone's lol It bothers me that many new or non licensed bodies have the audacity to come in these facilities and act like the residents are on their time! We are in their home to help provide ADL's amongst other things like them still trying to be & keep their independence. The ridiculous amount they have to spend to have the care they get from some people makes me wanna die young!! Our system sucks unless its the government making the dollar. I just wish they'd spend an 8 hr shift in these facilities before signing off on some rules & regs. Im not political by any means but those who take the dollar should get to live and experience a day of what our elderly lived ones are forced to experience daily , monthly, yearly! In fact the state hasn't even done the 18 month annual expectation in over 2 yrs at the place im contracted at 👍way to keep up on stuff and by stuff I mean our elderly living human beans. People who deserve to be served on gold plates or at least gave better food then what they serve daycares and if not that at least for it to be at high minimum warm food !! In 23 yrs of being a CNA I can only try to write a book to get out all the things I've seen ,heard. & witnessed in the years.
Helping client Maintain themselves in their own home until the end of life.my goal
Working behind a caregiver that’s not well trained