More PCAs needed to make a difference

Personal care assistant Claire Wang and client Josh Burry.

As necessary as his wheelchair – that is the how important Josh Burry views his Personal Care Assistants (PCAs).

Since a car accident nine years ago left Josh, now 29, using a wheelchair, a PCA has been a part of his daily routine. Each morning an alternating PCA assists Josh out of bed, showers and dresses him for the day, and helps with household duties that are too difficult to do alone.

Claire Yu-Tsu Wang has been Josh’s PCA for the past 10 months and said it was a job which complemented her Biomedical Science degree, with flexible hours that fitted around her study.

Personal Support Plus, a service of the Spinal Injuries Association, coordinates more than 650 PCAs throughout Queensland, who together provide more than 400,000 hours of assistance every year to people with a disability or the elderly. This includes personal care, domestic and workplace assistance and holiday support around the clock.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said PCAs were urgently required.

“Prior experience is an advantage, but not essential,” he said.

“PCAs must be reliable, trustworthy and have good interpersonal skills. A telephone and your own reliable transport are also essential.

“Being a PCA is incredibly rewarding work and perfect for a student given the flexibility of working with us.”

PCAs receive an intensive three-day, fully-paid PCA Induction course in either Brisbane or Townsville, and on-the-job training in a client’s home with an experienced PCA.

In the majority of situations, a PCA will be one of a team who support a client.

Josh, from West End, said he currently had five to six attendants who were rostered to assist him in the mornings. Currently in his last semester of a four-year Fine Arts degree, Josh said without the support of a PCA he simply would not be able to get out of bed, let alone study and be an active member of the community.

“Common sense and the ability to be thoughtful and thorough are some of the characteristics a great PCA should possess,” he said.

“You have to obviously be able to work closely with people, and you can’t be too submissive; it has to be a working, professional relationship.”

Claire said being a PCA provided immense satisfaction, but was definitely suited to a certain kind of person.

“Personal care including showering, drying, skin care, dressing, bowel and bladder care and personal hygiene, as well as preparing light meals, general household duties and assisting the client to go shopping for food are just some of the duties a PCA may perform in their role,” she said.

The hours a PCA work are different for each client, but the bulk of the shifts are available between 6am until 9am and 6pm until 10pm.

For attendants like Claire, these flexible hours allow her to work with clients in the morning, and then make her way to university for the rest of the day. Students and people looking for casual, flexible hours are most attracted to becoming a PCA.

Claire said it was nice to have a job that allowed her to meet people of all different backgrounds, while also providing an essential service.

“It’s good to be able to support people with the things I used to take for granted,” she said.

Personal Support Plus encourages people interested in becoming a PCA to contact the Spinal Injuries Association Human Resource department on 3391 2044 or hr@spinal.com.au This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NOTE: Josh and Claire are both able for interviews and photographs.