The Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program at Franklin County Home Care Seeks Volunteer Surrogates
Would you like to:
- Make a difference in the quality of life of a person with a disability?
- Gain a better understanding of living with a disability?
- Gain a friend?
Being a volunteer surrogate for a PCA consumer could do just that.
What is the PCA Program?
The Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program is a MassHealth program offered by Franklin County Home Care (FCHCC). The PCA program helps people with permanent or chronic disabilities keep their independence, stay in the community, and manage their own personal care by providing funds to hire personal care attendants (PCAs). The PCA consumer (the person receiving PCA services) is the employer of the PCA, and is fully responsible for recruiting, hiring, scheduling, training, and, if necessary, firing PCAs. FCHCC trains people to manage their PCA.
What if the consumer can’t manage the PCA Program?
The consumer may need assistance to manage the PCA Program. This assistance is provided by a “surrogate” who could be a spouse, parent, other family member, friend, or neighbor. But some people don’t know anyone to ask. FCHCC can match the consumer with a volunteer surrogate.
Who can be a volunteer surrogate?
There are no specific educational or experiential requirements for surrogates. A volunteer surrogate is someone who cares about others and is committed to helping a person with a disability be as independent as possible.
What are the responsibilities of the surrogate?
Responsibilities of a surrogate include understanding and ensuring consumer choice so that the person with disabilities can live with dignity as well as performing management tasks that the consumer is unable to perform on his/her own.
Tasks may include:
- Hiring, training and supervising PCAs to maintain consumers’ health and safety.
- Assuring that time sheets and all other necessary paperwork are in on time.
- Directing PCAs as specified in the consumer’s personal services agreement.
- Being available for all consumer reviews.
- Firing PCAs when needed.
Tasks surrogates DO NOT do include:
- Hands on care of consumers
- Act as a PCA
How do I get started?
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer surrogate, contact FCHCC to speak with the PCA Volunteer Surrogate Coordinator. The Coordinator will give you an orientation to the PCA Program and what it means to be a surrogate. She/he will match you with consumer/s. As with anyone working with FCHCC, you will be required to have a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check done.
Contact the PCA program director at 413-773-5555, 978-544-2259, or send us e-mail.