Personal Care Aides

Employers

More than 2.2 million personal care aides are employed in the United States. According to the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), the majority of personal care aides are women. Most aides work in the homes of clients. Others are employed in small group homes, hospice facilities, or larger care communities. The majority of aides work for local social service agencies that provide home care services. A small but growing percentage of aides are self-employed.

Starting Out

One good way to break into the field is by working as a volunteer. Social service agencies, hospitals, and nursing homes often enlist the aid of volunteers. If you make a good impression as a volunteer, you’ll improve your chances of being hired for a paid position.

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice provides a list of home care agencies at its Web site, https://agencylocator.nahc.org/. Use the site to find agencies in your area, then contact the agencies directly to learn about job opportunities. Newspaper want ads and Web sites such as Craigslist.com can also be a good source of job openings.