Definitions
Common terminology and positional descriptions are defined below for assistance and clarity. Click here for a list of common abbreviations.
- Clients: People who receive PCA services. May also be called "consumers" or "recipients".
- Responsible Party (RP): The person/people who is responsible for making decisions for the client. The client may be their own responsible party. A person other than the client is assigned as a responsible party when the client is a minor child or an adult not capable of performing the duties of a responsible party. All responsible parties monitor and verify the hours worked by the PCAs and sign time sheets. For PCA Choice clients, the responsible party is the direct supervisor of the PCAs and handles scheduling, hiring, terminations, and training.
- Personal Care Assistant (PCA): The person who physically provides the services outlined in the PCA Care Plan to the client.
- Registered Nurse (RN)/Qualified Professional (QP): The person who works with the responsible party to write a PCA Care Plan as needed and provides the necessary PCA training and supervision. Regular home visits are made by this person to monitor client progress and to ensure PCAs are providing quality care to their client. He/she also evaluates PCA performance with the responsible party and monitors service hour usage.
- PCA Provider Agency: The agency (A Caring Company, Inc.) that is considered the employer of the PCA for employment law and related regulations under both PCA service options. They carry all required bonds and insurance coverage, process payroll and claims, and process/maintain the required employee and client documents. Key positions within the agency include:
- Staffing Coordinator: Person responsible for processing all required documents for PCAs, submitting background studies, ensuring PCA records are up-to-date, training on company policies, and handling PCA and client service requests. PCAs must notify the staffing coordinator of scheduling issues/problems with their clients.
- On-Call After Hours Coordinator: Person who responds to all situations, as A Caring Company, Inc. is ready to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Payroll Coordinator: Person who reviews time sheets for accuracy, monitors client's billing hours, and processes payroll.
- Public Health Nurse (PHN): A nurse assigned by the County who conducts the annual PCA service assessment to determine the necessity of PCA services for the client.
- Activites of Daily Living (ADLs): Activites including eating, toileting, grooming, dressing, bathing, mobility, positioning, and transferring.
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs): Activities related to living independently in the community, including but not limited to: meal planning and preperation; basic assistance with paying the bills; shopping for food, clothing, and other essential items; performing household tasks integral to the personal care assistance services; assisting with client communication by telephone and other media; and accompanying the client with traveling to medical appointments and participation in the community.
- Care Plan: A written document that outlines cares needed, an emergency back-up plan, and a month-to-month hours usage plan. The Care Plan must reflect the cares determined in the PHN's Care Assessment. A copy of the Care Plan must be available at all times to the PCA in the client's home.
- Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS): Regulates the PCA program, conducts audits, and has full authority to approve or deny PCA services.
