FAQs

A Personal Care Assistant is also known as a caregiver, who provides care in the patient’s home, according to the recommendations of a Public Health Nurse and your Health Plan Provider.

The services a PCA may provide include bathing, grooming, dressing, meal preparation, behavior monitoring, mobility and light housekeeping.

The types of care and how many hours per day for which you qualify are determined by the Public Health Nurse.

The patient’s PCA cannot be:

• A spouse
• A recipient of home health services
• The parent of a minor child
• A corporate guardian
• A step parent
• The responsible party

Currently, Avanna Health works with Medical Assistance, Medica, Health Partners and Blue Plus/Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans. However, as these partnerships change from time to time, it is best to call our office for confirmation. We also provide services to persons with Waivered services through their county.

You must be eligible for Medical Assistance. Please contact us or your local health agency to determine your eligibility

You must be assessed by a Public Health Nurse in the County you live in to see if you need PCA services.

If you are the patient, you must be able to make decisions regarding your care or have a Responsible Party who can make decisions for you. For example, a minor child under the age of 18 or a person not able to make his or her own decisions due to a physical or mental disability requires a designated Responsible Party.

A Responsible Party is the formal designation for the person who will be making the health care decisions for the person requiring home health services. The requirements for a Responsible Party include.

Must be at least 18 years old Cannot be your PCA Must be available to the patient and the PCA and help to monitor care Must attend the Public Health Nurse Assessment and be prepared to sign any documents related to home health services.

Once you’re verified to receive services, we’ll begin the process of assigning a PCA who can best accommodate the needs of your loved one. All of our PCA’s must have the required training, complete our application materials, and pass our background check.

Avanna Health will assign a Nurse Case Manager, who will visit you and, if required, train your PCA or PCAs to make sure your care needs are met. The Nurse Case Manager will also answer any questions you may have and make certain you’re happy with your services.

All Personal Care assistants who work for a client under PCA Choice are eligible to join Minnesota’s PCA Union (SEIU).

You pay union dues and are eligible to vote on union matters. As a fiscal intermediary, Integra must meet the terms of SEIU, including paying the minimum union wage, providing paid time off (PTO) at union rates, and collecting union dues.

When clients want our agency to find staff, they select Traditional PCA services.
The traditional option gives us the freedom to be more flexible with our clients. For example, many of our clients elect to schedule their own PCAs but have us take care of all the steps involved with hiring and firing PCAs. When clients have their own Personal Care Worker or Workers, usually family or friends who can cover all his shifts, they generally choose PCA Choice.

The traditional option gives us the freedom to be more flexible with our clients. For example, many of our clients elect to schedule their own PCAs but have us take care of all the steps involved with hiring and