Home Care - Information for Health Care Professionals

Information for Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides

To become a Personal Care Aide or a Home Health Aide, a person must complete training and competency evaluations. This training must be conducted by an approved Personal Care Aide Training Program (PCATP) or an approved Home Health Aide Training Program (HHATP). Department of Health approved training programs provide basic or core training as well as competency evaluations for those with prior training and/or relevant experience. DOH approved training programs will assess an individual’s prior training or experience to determine the appropriate training required for certification.

• Personal Care Aide (PCA) Training Programs are approved to provide Basic Training (minimum 40 hour training) and Alternative Competency Demonstration (ACD)
• Home Health Aide (HHA) HHA Training Programs are approved to provide Core Training (minimum 75 hour training), PCA Upgrade, Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Transition and Competency Evaluation

If you are interested in becoming a Personal Care Aide or Home Health Aide, please contact a Department of Health approved training program. Below is a list of Agencies that operate Training Programs.

• NYS Department of Health Approved PCA and HHA Training Programs (PDF)

Home Health Aide Training Program and Personal Care Aide Training Program curriculum information can be found here:

• Home Care Curriculum (PDF)
• Home Care Health Related Tasks Curriculum (PDF)
• Guide to the Operation of a Home Health Aide Training Program (PDF)
• Guide to the Operation of a Personal Care Aide Training Program (PDF)
• Home Health Aide Matrix of Permissible and Non-Permissible Activities (PDF)

The Home Care Registry provides limited information about individual Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides that have successfully completed state approved training program. To access the Home Care Registry, please visit:

• New York State Home Care Registry

Information for Other Health Care Professionals

For information on discharge planning and patient transition, please visit:

• NY Connects: Long Term Care in New York State
• Next Step in Care
• New York State Discharge Planning Resources
• New York State Department of Health Suggested Model for Transitional Care Planning
• Transitional Care Resources
• Information a Discharge Planner Needs to Know in Order to Effect a Safe and Efficient Transition
• CMS Hospital Discharge Planning Guidance Memo
• Online Training Resources for Discharge Planners

The Uniform Assessment System is a comprehensive assessment system within eight Medicaid home and community-based long-term care services and programs. For information on the Uniform Assessment System, please visit:

• Uniform Assessment System for New York

For information about Medicare and Medicaid, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

If you need more information about Home Care, please contact the Division of Home and Community Based Services at 518-408-1638 or homecare@health.ny.gov