Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to your common questions about home care careers and applications. Have additional questions? Feel free to reach out.
About Home Care
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About Home Care
Home care supports older adults, people of all ages with disabilities, and people with behavioral and mental health needs. Home care professionals provide support with daily activities so people can live independently at home and in their communities.
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About Home Care
Working in home care makes a real difference in people’s lives. You support people with daily tasks so they can live the lives they want to live. The work is rewarding but can also be physically and emotionally challenging. You may need to lift people or heavy objects. You may need to support someone when they are having a hard day. There are trainings to build your skills and help you get ready!
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About Home Care
You can apply for four types of home care jobs. We encourage you to apply for one or more roles. You can work in more than one position at the same time. Each one supports a different group of people.
- Homecare Workers (HCW) support older adults and people with disabilities through the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Aging and People with Disabilities.
- Personal Care Attendants (PCA) support people experiencing behavioral or mental health needs through the Oregon Health Authority Medicaid Division.
- Personal Support Workers (PSW) support children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the ODHS Office of Developmental Disabilities Services.
- Personal Support Worker Job Coaches (PSWJC) support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their workplaces.
Learn more about home care roles and find the best fit for you.
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About Home Care
Home care supports people at home and in the community with essential daily tasks that help them thrive and live as independently as possible. This may include assisting with eating and making meals, shopping, traveling to appointments or grocery stores, managing medication, using the toilet, walking, bathing and supporting individuals at their jobs.
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About Home Care
No. In some cases, people you support do not need their care provider to drive them places or use a car for any reason. So, if you can get to their home by another form of transportation, you do not need a car.
Some people you support do need help with transportation or with errands that require a car like grocery shopping. If you do not have a car you can use, the online system will not match you with someone who requires a car. In some cases, the person you support may be OK with you driving their car.
For help with the online matching system or with any other questions, you can fill out this request form.
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About Home Care
People with disabilities may need different types of support to live safely and independently. Here’s an overview:
Physical disabilities: Affect the body and movement.
- Examples: Difficulty walking, using hands, dementia, or conditions such as cerebral palsy that can affect balance.
- Workers can help with bathing, dressing, eating, and moving around.
Developmental disabilities: Affect how people grow and learn, often starting at a young age.
- Examples: Autism or Down syndrome.
- Workers can help with routines like morning hygiene, preparing meals, or managing appointments.
Intellectual disabilities: Affect how people think, learn, or solve problems.
- Example: Below average IQ.
- Workers can help with routines like planning the day, keeping mealtimes, safety and social skills, following task steps, shopping, and making decisions.
Mental/behavioral health conditions: Affect mental health and emotional well-being, impacting daily life.
- Examples: Depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Workers can help by encouraging routines, scheduling therapy appointments, and assisting with dressing, transportation, or housework.
Invisible disabilities: Affect daily life, often without visible symptoms.
- Examples: Examples: Chronic pain, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or epilepsy.
- Workers can help by managing medicine schedules, supporting health routines, or helping with tasks like cleaning, and transportation.
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About Home Care
No. With a home care provider number, you can also work with non-family members in your community.
Application process
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Application process
Help is available in many languages including:
- English
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
- Russian
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Korean
- Somolian
- Arabic
The website is available in eight languages. Use the drop-down menu on the far right of the home page to switch the language.
For additional help, go to your local office. Find the office nearest you.
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Application process
Most people get certified in four to six weeks.
The step that takes the longest is the background check. If you have lived outside Oregon in the past five years, it may take the full six weeks.
While you wait:
- Sign up for the in-person orientation.
- Orientations are once a month in most counties.
Time limits:
- You must finish orientation 45 days after you turn in your application.
If you have questions, free help is available in most counties.
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Application process
No. Learn more about what might make you unable to work in home care.
- People applying to be a Personal Support Worker will have a wider background check because they may be working with children.
- You can find more information on background checks. Scroll down to the section in blue that says “Guidance and Tools” and click on “Background checks” underneath it. The information is available in multiple languages.
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Application process
Once you apply and are enrolled, you’ll be assigned a provider number. This unique identification number is given to people in home care roles after they complete the application and approval process. It allows you to work and get paid for providing home care services.
Once you receive your provider number, you can begin searching for job opportunities through the online matching tool, Carina. You may also be hired by someone you know who qualifies for home care services. Your provider number is needed to track your work hours, get paid and access training and benefits.
There are a few more steps after receiving your provider number. Check your email or mail daily for updates.
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Application process
The online matching system is called Carina. People looking for support can post a job on Carina, indicating the type and amount of care they are looking for. You can then apply for the job on the website.
Someone looking for support can also go on to Carina to search for a provider in their community. You can request free help or tips on what to include in your bio and resume before you post it on Carina.
Once you are matched with someone looking for support a case manager will help you learn about that person’s support needs. In some cases, a case manager is called a “services coordinator” or a “personal agent”.
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Application process
In most cases, yes. Often a person who needs home care prefers to hire someone they know. There are some restrictions for roles, such as Personal Support Workers cannot provide services to their own children until they are 18+.
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Application process
Once you get a provider number, you can begin to look for jobs. There is a free online matching tool called Carina to find people who are set up to get state services from the State of Oregon and need in-home help. You may also be hired by someone you know who qualifies to receive paid home care services. The person you support is your employer. They direct your work and create a schedule with you.
Job skills and growth
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Job skills and growth
No. You do not need to have worked in home care before. Free trainings will help you build the skills you need to be successful.
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Job skills and growth
It depends.
- In most cases, if you are a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you can get credit for the professional development certification. That certification increases the hourly pay.
- Everyone must still take the 12- hour Orientation and Core training.
If you have questions, free help is available in most counties. Fill out this request form to ask for help.
For specific questions about the certifications through the Oregon Home Care Commission, email certifications. ohcc@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
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Job skills and growth
Yes! You can grow your skills with free training and certifications. Some will help you earn more money per hour.
You must complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years to stay current in this career field and grow your skills. Classes are free, and you will be paid for the time you spend after you finish. Training information is available in multiple languages and interpreters can assist you.
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Job skills and growth
No. You do not have to care for someone who speaks your language. You only need basic English skills to be a home care provider. This means you can:
- Understand simple instructions.
- Ask questions when you need help.
- Complete basic work tasks.
Some caregivers work with individuals who speak the same language. Others do not. Both are okay.
What matters most is that you are:
- Caring
- Reliable
- Willing to learn
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Job skills and growth
Yes. People from all cultures and those who speak languages other than English are needed. Many people prefer support from someone who speaks their language and understands their culture. You can also get help in your preferred language when applying for a job in home care.
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Job skills and growth
Yes! If you have questions about any part of the application process or are an existing worker looking for ways to connect with more clients, the Provider Navigator Program is a free service that helps people start and grow a career as a home care worker in Oregon. Connect with a personal coach in the Provider Navigator Program who will help you with:
- Providing help in other languages
- Filling out forms
- The background check process
- Finding work
- Building skills
Fill out this form to get started, watch this video to learn more, or contact us with questions by calling 877-624-6080 or email: ohcc.providernavigator@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Pay and benefits
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Pay and benefits
Yes. Home care jobs can be full-time (up to 60 hours per week) or part-time.
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Pay and benefits
Yes! In any of the four home care roles, you pick who you want to support. You use an online tool, Carina, to find people who need support based on the hours, type of care and work environment you want. You can work for people who want full-time or part-time support.
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Pay and benefits
Currently, the starting pay is $21.25 per hour. There are two ways for your hourly pay to increase:
- The more hours you work in a year, the higher your base pay will be in the following year.
- Certifications through the Oregon Home Care Commission offer additional pay per hour.
Certifications that increase pay include:
- CPR/1st Aid: Adds $0.25 per hour.
- Professional Development Certification (PDC): Adds $0.75 per hour.
- Ventilator-Dependent Quadriplegia (VDQ) Certification: Adds $3 per hour.
- Enhanced Certification: Adds $1 per hour (stacks with PDC for a total of $1.75 per hour and stacks with VDQ for a total of $4 per hour).
- Exceptionahttps://ohccstg.wpenginepowered.com/already-work-in-home-care/#!/certificationsl Certification: Adds $3 per hour.
Training for these certifications is free through the Oregon Home Care Commission, and some trainings even offer a stipend for attending. These jobs are unionized, which helps improve pay, benefits, and working conditions. Base pay can increase every two years through collective bargaining.
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Pay and benefits
Most benefits start after you work 40 hours a month for two months in a row
One benefit starts right away: OregonSaves retirement savings.
How benefits can end:
- If you work less than 40 hours for two months in a row, benefits stop.
- You still get benefits for one extra month after that.
Example:
- If you work less than 40 hours in October, but you work 40 hours in November, you keep your benefits.
- If you work less than 40 hours in October and November, your benefits end on January 1.
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Pay and benefits
People who work in home care get benefits when they meet certain requirements. Benefits include:
- paid time off
- pay when you work overtime
- health care options
- dental and vision coverage
- Employee Assistance Program
- OregonSaves retirement savings account