Online PCA Training and Certification

Personal care aides play a critical role in helping the elderly and other ailing individuals be able to stay in their own homes instead of having to move into a facility. This is such an important and rewarding job, and the families we serve appreciate the care and assistance our personal care aides provide them. It’s a job you can truly feel good about. At Home Personal Care is proud to hire only the best PCAs in Northern Virginia, and with that comes training. We offer PCA certification online, 24/7, that empowers you to learn all of the important skills necessary to succeed in making lives better for our patients. You can register by clicking this link. 

PCA Certification Online

If you have your sights set on becoming a personal care aide, At Home Personal Care’s personal care aide training is now available online. You can access course materials online any time of the day or night so that you can learn at your own pace. Our certification course allows you to repeat modules as necessary so that you can truly attain mastery in each area. In addition to the rich online PCA training materials in the course, you can contact our instructors to ask questions and gain additional insight to help you succeed in the certification process and in your future career as a personal care aide. 

PCA Training Online for the State of Virginia 

When you complete our online course, you will be able to get a job with your personal care aide certification, recognized by the State of Virginia. At Home Personal Care also offers job placement services after you pass the course. 

Personal Care Aide Certification Training Course Information

Interested adults over the age of 18 are invited to begin The At Home Personal Care Training Institute if they desire to work in this incredible and important field of health care. The home healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing job markets in America, with a high demand for compassionate, skilled people who are passionate about providing excellent care for others. If you think this may be the right field for you, read more about the important “soft skills” you’ll need below, and then embark on our personal care assistant certification training program to become a certified PCA in the State of Virginia. 

Personal Care Aide Training: 7 Things You Need to Know

Virginia has specific and rigorous personal care aid training requirements that you need to study and pass in order to be considered for job placement with a home healthcare agency. But before you begin the course, make sure to understand some of the must-have attributes that you’ll need to succeed: 

1. Facilitate Independence 

A personal care aide comes into a person’s home to help them with essential activities that have become hard for them to accomplish. Many of our clients are still able to do several things on their own, and it’s important for them to be able to maintain and foster this independence as much as possible for their mental and emotional health. A successful PCA will learn about the client’s difficulties and abilities first. For example, if the cooking has become difficult for the client, a PCA will assist in whatever way necessary to help the client with safe, healthy meal preparation. If the client is still able to get dressed, the PCA will not need to assist there. This will help the PCA build an important relationship of trust and respect with the client while accomplishing the goal of fostering as much independence for the client as possible. 

2. Treat Everyone with Respect and Kindness

This is a rule for life, and it is especially important for personal care assistants. PCAs work with people from all kinds of backgrounds and who may be struggling with a wide range of physical and mental health concerns. Some patients may still be physically strong, but suffer from the difficulties of Alzheimer’s. Other patients may have significant physical disabilities but still have sharp mental acuity. The successful personal care assistant will treat every patient, regardless of their difficulties with respect, care and compassion. This can be especially hard if you run into challenging situations, which will always come. Although our PCA training online will discuss this skill in depth, it’s a personal attribute that needs to be at the core of your personality as well. Some days will be hard, but other days will be precious with the patients you serve. Learn to handle both with grace and always be respectful and compassionate to each patient, each day. 

3. Support the Family in Supporting the Patient

Our patients and their families go through a rollercoaster of emotions when adapting to their changing needs. In fact, when a family hires a personal care assistant, this is usually because their loved one’s needs now go beyond what the family is able to provide on a day-to-day basis. As a PCA, you may spend a great deal more time with the client than their own family. That means you will become a critical link in the care and decision making process that the family goes through as they make further care decisions for their loved one. A compassionate, respectful, professional personal care aide must be a sensitive, trusted, reliable confidant with the family and the client when they need to talk. You don’t have to be a therapist, but you do need to listen closely, be sensitive, be helpful and supportive as the family goes through things that may be difficult. It is not uncommon for PCAs to become true friends of the family in this way. 

4. Be Patient

It’s impossible to stress this point enough. Some days as a PCA can be very stressful and difficult. This job requires patience, grace and compassion at all times, even and especially when things get hard. Patience isn’t just a good thing to have as a PCA—it’s a solemn duty. One way to ensure that you have the internal resources to remain patient in tough times is to make sure you take time for personal care during your off hours. Make sure to get sufficient sleep, drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods to maintain both physical and emotional strength. Self care for personal care aides is not selfish, it’s essential to being the best PCA you can be. 

5. Be Honest and Professional at All Times

During your pca certification online course, you will learn a lot about professional standards of conduct and care, and it’s crucial to follow these guidelines for the clients safety and wellbeing, and also for your own welfare. It’s important to observe all confidentiality and privacy guidelines and essential to keep confidences when your client tells very personal stories or shares about difficult experiences that are very private for the individual. However, there may be some things you will need to discuss with the client’s family or your supervisor. An example of something you should discuss are safety and health concerns that worry you; for example, if your client’s behavior could put him or herself or someone else at risk. These situations can escalate quickly, and your duty is to protect your client if you see anything dangerous, unhealthy or out-of-character for your patient. 

6. Never Stop Training

Once you’ve earned your pca certification online with At Home Personal Care, your duty to continue learning and improving your ability to provide excellent care continues. Our PCAs have access to additional training opportunities on a regular basis and we encourage our team to take advantage of any training or educational opportunities available to them. 

If you have always loved helping people and want to make this your career, we encourage you to register today to begin your State of Virginia personal care assistant certification course today. It is a rewarding career that makes an enormous difference in people's lives!

FAQs About Online PCA Training Course

Q: How much does the PCA training class cost?
A: The cost of the PCA training class is $350.

Q: How long will it take?
A: The PCA training class is designed to provide flexible learning opportunities. You can access the course 24/7 and learn at your own pace. The course consists of 10 modules, and the time to complete depends on your preferred study duration each day. On average, students can easily finish the entire course within a week.

Q: Is it a 40-hour class?
A: No, it is not a fixed 40-hour class. The PCA training class is an online course that allows you to set your own schedule based on your availability and preferences.

Q: Can I work as a Personal Care Aide after completing the course and getting the certification?
A: Yes, upon completing the course and obtaining the certification, you will have the necessary qualifications to work as a Personal Care Aide. Additionally, we provide job placement assistance to help you find employment opportunities in the field.

Q: Are there any tests that I need to pass?
A: Yes, there are quizzes that you need to pass as part of the course requirements. These quizzes help assess your understanding of the material and ensure your proficiency in the subject matter.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us: (703) 330-2323.