What is the Personal Assistant Program?
The Personal Assistant Program is designed to provide services that address the personal needs of individuals with disabilities. Persons who may benefit from these services may have a permanent disability such as a spinal cord injury or a temporary disability such as a fractured hip.
A personal assistant or P.A. is an individual who assists a person with a disability in activities of daily living. Personal assistance refers to the type of service being provided, which is "personal." We use the term "personal assistant" because he or she will be working under the direction of his or her employer, i.e. the person with the disability. The activities with which the personal assistant may help include personal care, meal preparation, shopping, errands, and light secretarial duties. This depends on the person’s functional abilities. Personal assistants allow individuals with disabilities to remain at home instead of being placed in a nursing home, other care facility, or an institution.
The Center offers an orientation program for persons interested in becoming personal assistants. A training manual is provided as a guide. The training involves understanding the relationship between the IVCIL, the Division of Rehabilitation Services, and the consumer; utilizing communication skills; understanding the employer-employee relationship; reviewing universal precautions; how to be a personal assistant; and receiving information regarding different types of disabilities. Once individuals successfully complete the program, they are placed on a current personal assistant referral list that is made available to consumers upon request.
Personal assistant management training also is provided to all participating consumers to enhance management skills of individuals who employ personal assistants. The independent living philosophy is key in the Personal Assistant Program because consumers determine who they will interview, hire, and also terminate.
The Personal Assistant Program is designed for individuals living independently or with family members, regardless of age or disability. Funding is available to pay for these services, but restrictions for funding (such as age, functional abilities, and income factors) do apply. Family members might request personal assistant services to create opportunities for themselves to change their schedules when caring for a loved one with a disability. In response to this kind of request, IVCIL’s Personal Assistant Program can help locate personal assistants to provide the compassionate care required for families who find themselves in such situations. This service frequently is referred to as respite care.