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• Personal care attendant (PCA) services are provided statewide, managed by the Division of Senior Services.
• PCA services enable functionally disabled Alaskans of all ages and frail, elderly Alaskans to live in their own home or community, instead of receiving care in a more costly and restrictive long-term care institution.
• DSS provides grants to 20 agencies that provide services to clients who need help in managing and coordinating their care and 110 independent personal care attendants (private contractors) who work for clients who wish to manage their own care.
• Services are typically provided in a client’s home by trained health care paraprofessionals (PCAs) under clinical supervision by a nurse, either through the agency employing PCAs or an independent PCA hired directly by the client.
• The program provides help with activities of daily living (ADLs), including bathing, dressing and grooming; and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as shopping and cleaning; and with other tasks that require semi-skilled care.

• In FY 00, the program served 1,344 clients in 125 Alaskan communities
• PCA agencies served 1,322 clients
• Independent PCAs served 131 clients
• Services were provided by 128 agency-based personal care attendants and 110 independent personal care attendants

• New regulations have been drafted for the Consumer-Directed Personal Care Attendant (CDPCA) Program. When adopted the CDPCA Program will replace the independent PCA program sometime in FY02.
• A working group (PCA Design Team) has completed redesigning the agency-based program to better meet the needs of the consumer.
• Check the PCA program Website for further information about the PCA Design Team activities (pca.infoinsights.com).

Next Section: Rural Long-Term Care
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