Arkansas · personal care aide (PCA)
Arkansas requires at least 40 hours of state-approved training for Medicaid personal care aides and for paid caregivers at in-home services agencies who help adults 50 and older. The state course must include at least 16 hours of hands-on skills and 4 hours on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Here is how it works and how family caregivers can get paid.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Personal care aide, trained in-home assistant, personal assistant (IndependentChoices) |
| Training | At least 40 hours approved by the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), with at least 16 hours of hands-on skills and 4 hours on Alzheimer’s and dementia |
| Exam | You must show you can do the physical skills. Medicaid aide training records include exam and skills test results. |
| Certification | No state certificate or registry found in state sources |
| Background check | Criminal background check under Arkansas law. Felonies that bar long-term care work disqualify you unless expunged or pardoned. |
| Yearly training | No yearly hour requirement was confirmed in state sources |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Agency licensing | Arkansas Department of Health, Health Facility Services (private care agency and home health agency licenses) |
Training
Under the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) rule, caregivers who help adults 50 and older through an in-home services agency need at least 40 hours of ADH-approved training, including at least 16 hours of hands-on physical skills and at least 4 hours on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Medicaid personal care aides also need at least 40 hours: at least 24 classroom hours plus 16 hours of supervised practice.
Some people are exempt from the ADH course, including certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), physicians, licensed social workers, people with 1 year of experience in a setting like a home health agency, hospital, or nursing home, the client’s parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or siblings, court-appointed guardians, unpaid helpers, and direct care workers in Department of Human Services (DHS) programs.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes. Through IndependentChoices, Arkansas Medicaid’s self-directed program, people hire their own personal assistant, and relatives can be hired. The assistant must be 18 or older.
Spouses, parents of minor children, and legal guardians cannot be paid as the personal assistant.
Read our full guide: how to get paid to care for a family member.
Compare
All three help people with daily care. Training, tasks, and pay differ.
| Personal care aide | Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | 40 hours, including 16 hands-on | 75 hours federal minimum, including 16 hands-on | State-approved program, 75 hours or more |
| Medical tasks | Mostly not. Help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, and housework | Some, like vital signs, under nurse supervision | Yes, under nurse supervision |
| Where you work | Clients' homes, group homes, assisted living | Clients' homes, through home health agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Median pay (AR) | $13.30 an hour* | $13.30 an hour* | $16.55 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups personal care aides with home health aides. Many PCAs later become CNAs, which opens more jobs and higher pay.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
No state license or registry was found in state sources. But Medicaid personal care aides, and caregivers at in-home services agencies who help adults 50 and older, must complete at least 40 hours of approved training unless they qualify for an exemption.
At least 40 hours, including at least 16 hours of hands-on skills and at least 4 hours on Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Yes, if she is in the IndependentChoices program. She can hire you as her personal assistant if you are 18 or older.
No. Under IndependentChoices, spouses, parents of minor children, and legal guardians cannot be paid as personal assistants.
Home health and personal care aides in Arkansas earn a median of $13.30 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.