Yes, you can be hired by more than one consumer. Although just like any other time someone has multiple jobs, you – as the employee – need to communicate with your employers about any potential scheduling conflicts. Also, please know that there is paperwork you need to complete every time a new consumer hires you.

You can complete a profile here on www.portal.cdchoices.org. Once your profile is complete, you’ll be able to search for prospective employing consumers. You can limit your search by location (including nearness to your residence), language, and schedule. www.portal.cdchoices.org also allows consumers to search for job candidates, so make sure your profile is complete and accurate so you’re easy to find.

Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) is independence and empowerment! Consumers – seniors and people with disabilities – using CDPA program have the power to recruit, hire, train, supervise, and terminate the employment of their personal assistants (PAs), rather than relying upon a stranger to choose their home care providers for them. As a PA, your employer will be either a consumer or a consumer’s designated representative, not CDChoices. This means that you’ll be coordinating everything directly with the person you care for. Your employer will work with you to arrange a schedule that works for both of you, and he or she will train and supervise you to perform the services you’ll be providing (as outlined in his or her plan of care). CDChoices, meanwhile, is a Fiscal Intermediary that helps consumers who have chosen CDPA for their homecare. CDChoices provides payroll services, benefits administration, and other administrative services on behalf of the consumer.

Your work schedule will be based upon the requirements of the consumer (employer) who hires you. Some employers need personal assistants seven days a week, while others only need someone a few days a week. Some personal assistants work as little as one or two hours a day, whereas others may work several hours a day. It all depends on what each individual consumer needs.

You and the consumer complete a weekly timesheet attesting to the number of hours you worked that week. Once a consumer submits the timesheets, CDChoices issues you a paycheck on his or her behalf.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to required experience. Each consumer determines what experience or qualifications they want their employees to have. There is no special certification or aide training that’s required unless the consumer specifies it. Some consumers prefer the ease of training an experienced personal assistant, while others appreciate inexperienced personal assistants who are willing to learn how to do things the consumer’s way. No matter how much or how little experience you have, you may be able to find someone who thinks you would be a great fit. If you have a profile on www.portal.cdchoices.org, listing any experience you have may make yourself easier to find for consumers who are looking for someone just like you.