Personal Care Management

Every year Center for Living & Working serves over 2,000 people in Central Massachusetts who have MassHealth Standard or CommonHealth insurance or individuals enrolled in a Senior Care Options Plan or OneCare Program and need the help of a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) to complete activities of daily living. As an Independent Living Center, we are committed to assuring that those we serve have complete control in managing their own personal care.

This commitment translates to a paradigm shift: the person with the disability becomes the employer, employing his/her own personal care attendant. At Center for Living & Working, we teach each individual how to meet their own personal care needs, how to interview personal care attendants and check references. Hiring and firing of the PCA, establishing a daily care schedule, it’s all in the consumer’s hands, where the control belongs.

Along the way, Center for Living & Working is there to help. We visit and call the consumer to troubleshoot and encourage. The bottom line: personal needs are met in an independent manner, with all of the dignity and pride every individual deserves.

Personal Care Attendant Program

Find out if you're eligible.

Are you enrolled in:
MassHealth Standard,
CommonHealth,
or a OneCare Plan?

Do you require hands-on assistance with at least 2 activities of daily living (such as bathing, toileting, transferring, eating)?

Do you or an approved appointee want to be in charge of directing your own personal care?

If you answered YES to the questions above you may be eligible for Center for Living & Working’s Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program.

NEXT STEPS

We're here to help you every step of the way...

Fill out an Online Referral Form

Fill out the Online Referral Form
https://www.centerlw.org/get-involved/make-a-referral/

Intake & Orientation

A staff member will reach out to you to begin the Intake and Orientation process.

Clinical Evaluation

A Clinical Team member will be assigned to come to your home to clinically evaluate your needs for hands on care.

Review & Approval

Center for Living & Working will submit the Clinical Evaluation to MassHealth or your OneCare agency and they will review and approve the number of hours you require assistance.

Skills Training

Center for Living & Working will provide Skills Training on how to hire a Personal Care Attendant(s) and guide you on self-directing your own care.

Download our printable PCA Process Flow

Mass PCA Directory

The Mass PCA directory is sponsored by the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Workforce Council and it offers a comprehensive and current list of people in Massachusetts who are ready to provide personal care and consumers who are hiring PCAs. Visit www.masspcadirectory.org to get started!

This program is free for residents of Massachusetts who receive PCA services through MassHealth.

The directory will enable PCA users in Massachusetts to receive the support they need to live independently. You can get names, contact information, and availability of PCAs for full or part-time work, review their experience, and learn if they are available to work mornings, days, evenings, or weekends. How it works:

If you receive PCA services from MassHealth, you may obtain free access to the list of PCA candidates.
Each time you access the list of applicants, you will need to login to Mass PCA Directory. Enter your email address, password, and MassHealth number to get verification that you are MassHealth eligible. This will take only a few seconds and can be done online.
When you find one or more people who meet your specific needs, you contact them by phone or email to arrange an interview. Before you interview your PCA, check the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities maintained by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The MassHealth PCA program can NOT pay you for a PCA whose name is listed.
Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) who are looking to work for people with disabilities and elders can also join this online directory. This will enable prospective PCA employers to learn who is available, and may contact you. If you want a job as a PCA or direct care worker, click here.
Screening: Job candidates in the MA PCA Directory have NOT been screened in any way and their backgrounds have NOT been checked. It is your responsibility as an employer to check references and backgrounds of people you may hire.
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