Most personal care aides work in the homes of clients—which may be clean, modern, and pleasant or untidy and somewhat depressing. Others work in hospice facilities, small group homes, or larger care communities.
Personal care aides may have to travel to take their patients to medical and dental appointments, for grocery shopping and banking trips, and on other errands. Some aides help people with disabilities go to work and achieve a higher level of interaction in their communities.
Many aides find their jobs rewarding when they are able to establish personal relationships with their clients and help to improve the quality of their lives. Many clients are friendly and cooperative and welcome the assistance of personal care aides. On the other hand, those who are sick or infirm can be depressed, angry, uncooperative, and sometimes even violent. This can create a stressful work environment. Additionally, this work can be physically exhausting. Aides are on the move throughout their workday—helping their clients dress and otherwise care for themselves, transferring clients in and out of beds and wheelchairs, and running various errands. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that personal care aides have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average for all workers.
- Addiction Therapists
- Adult Day Care Coordinators
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
- Animal Caretakers
- Animal Trainers
- App Services Workers
- Arborists
- Behavioral Health Technicians
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- Child Life Specialists
- Cleaning Service Owners
- Clinic Managers
- Community Health Nurses
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Community Health Workers
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Conflict Resolution Specialists
- Contact Tracers
- Creative Arts Therapists
- Dietetic Technicians
- Directors of Volunteers
- Dry Cleaning and Laundry Workers
- Elder Law Attorneys
- Funeral Home Workers
- Genealogical Researchers
- Geriatric Care Managers
- Geriatric Nurses
- Geriatric Psychiatrists
- Geriatric Social Workers
- Geriatricians
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Grief Therapists
- Grounds Managers
- Health Advocates
- HIV/AIDS Counselors and Case Managers
- Home Health Care Aides
- Home Health Care and Hospice Nurses
- Hospice Workers
- Household Workers
- Housekeepers and Maids
- Human Services Workers
- Landscapers
- Lawn and Gardening Service Owners
- Life Coaches
- Medical Ethicists
- Mortuary Cosmetologists
- Music Therapists
- Nail Technicians
- Neuropsychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides
- Orientation and Mobility Specialists
- Painters and Paperhangers
- Pest Control Workers
- Pet Sitters
- Professional Organizers
- Psychologists
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Recreational Therapists
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Senior Care Pharmacists
- Sign Language and Oral Interpreters
- Social Workers
- Spa Managers
- Swimming Pool Servicers
- Tattoo Artists
- Taxidermists
- Tutors and Trainers