Tri-Valley
Personal Care Attendant Services (PCA services)
508-949-6640
Donna Cocaine is what is called a surrogate. She meets with someone from Tri-Valley every year along with me and she approves the bi-weekly timesheets.
Call Tri-Valley to find out how many hours Nick is approved for at the moment. They may also be able to help find a PCA, but I would try using the sources I provide below first. Currently,
New PCAs are required to undergo training through the program if they haven’t already done the training.
Decent PCA’s are not easy to find. I’ve had one leave Nick sitting alone on the porch swing after I told her to never, ever leave him there alone. That if he leaned forward, he could fall flat on his face. She did it anyhow. And I had one that walked out on us when I asked her to take her shoes off at the door when I found out her dog was having diarrhea all over her house. Seriously. I don’t know what’s wrong with people.
Currently, Steve and I are his PCA’s. Occasionally we have used Missi McConnell, 774-289-3700, who is simply incredible. You won’t find a better PCA, but she’s extremely busy with her own daughter and 2 live-in special needs people. And working as an aid at Oxford High. She may be able to help find a good PCA should the need arise though. She would be the first person I would ask. You could also try asking Sharon Freedman if she knows of anyone. She was one of Nick’s aids at school and still works in the Oxford school system. She’s wonderful. Katie Chauvin might know of a PCA. She was also one of Nick’s aids in school. You could also ask Cindy Ward if she knows of anyone who might be able to help. She lives in Leicester and has a daughter who requires PCA services.
Every two weeks, Steve and I submit our timesheets. Donna Cocaine gets an email showing that we submitted it, she approves it, and the timesheets are then sent to Tempus Unlimited, 877-479-7577. Tempus Unlimited handles the payroll. You can check their website for other sources of finding a PCA. You can also check out the Mass PCA Directory.
How Nick gets approved for PCA services: Someone comes to the house once a year to evaluate Nick to see how many PCA hours he needs for the upcoming year. They calculate the hours, call to make sure I agree, and then submit the hours to MassHealth for approval. He gets approved for X hours for a year.