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9.1. Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)

Recruitment, training, and retention of good PCAs present ongoing problems for the Veteran with SCI/D. Veterans must be trained in meeting specific care needs so that they can in turn train their own personal care attendants. Possible resources for finding attendants include: local nursing schools, churches, employment agencies, and advertisements in newspapers and magazines. It is important that the Veteran develop a back-up plan for care in case the Veteran's PCA is not available to provide services. Veterans are provided training and assistance to assume responsibility for interviewing, hiring, and training PCAs.