Tempus Unlimited, Inc.

Personal Care Attendant Program

The Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Program is a MassHealth program that assists people with long-term disabilities live at home independently. This is a consumer-directed program, which provides personal care services for people with disabilities.

Through our PCA Program, Tempus Unlimited serves about 4,300 individuals living in Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands. This program serves people of all ages, disabilities and backgrounds. Options has staff who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, and English.

Personal Care Attendants are hired, trained and supervised by the person with the disability (consumer). PCAs do not work for Tempus Unlimited, or any other agency - they work for the consumer. As the employer, a consumer chooses who to hire, sets up a PCA schedule and trains PCAs to meet his or her own personal needs. PCAs are paid based on timesheets that are sent to the Fiscal Intermediary.

If the consumer cannot independently manage his or her PCA program, the consumer may have the help of a surrogate. The surrogate is often a family member but may be any other person identified by the consumer who has the ability to manage the program.

For the Official Website of the Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council please click here http://www.mass.gov/pca

PCAs can help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as:

mobility/transfers
passive range of motion
taking medications
bathing or grooming
dressing or undressing
eating
toileting

PCAs can also help with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) such as:

laundry
shopping
housekeeping
meal preparation and clean-up
transportation to medical appointments
maintaining adaptive equipment

If a consumer needs help at night, such as for repositioning or toileting etc., PCA time can be approved for Night Attendant services.

PCA time is NOT approved for:

babysitting
recreation
advocacy
cueing, prompting, guiding or coaching
supervision
safety

Payroll and tax filing and reporting are usually handled by the Fiscal Intermediary, although some consumers do choose to handle this
function themselves. PCAs are covered by Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance.

Eligibility

The Personal Care Attendant program is available to people with disabilities who meet the following conditions:

Personal Care Services are prescribed by a physician or nurse practitioner
Have a permanent or chronic disability that impairs their ability to perform activities of daily living without physical assistance.
Needs physical assistance with two or more activities of daily living

Personal Care Attendant

Service area: Servicing the state of Massachusetts

Mass PCA Directory (helping Consumers looking for a PCA and helping PCA's look for work):
Mass PCA directory is sponsored by the PCA Workforce Council and it offers a comprehensive and current list of people in Massachusetts who are ready to provide personal care and consumers who are hiring PCAs. Visit www.masspcadirectory.org to get started!

MassHealth PCA Program and overtime rules:
https://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/insurance/masshealth-member-info/pca/pca-overtime-faqs.html

MassHealth Paid Family and Medical Leave in Massachusetts:
https://www.mass.gov/topics/paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-massachusetts

Collective Bargain Agreement

CBA Letter to Consumers PCA (English)

CBA Letter to Consumers PCA (Spanish)

PTO Terms (English)

PTO Terms (Spanish)

Tempus PCA Consumer Handbook