Oregon · personal care aide (PCA)
Oregon keeps starting training short and clear: in-home care agency caregivers take 4 hours of orientation and 8 hours of training before working alone. Medicaid homecare workers follow a similar path through the Oregon Home Care Commission, and spouses can be paid through a special program.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Caregiver (in-home care agency), homecare worker (HCW), personal support worker (PSW), personal care attendant |
| Training | 4 hours of orientation plus 8 hours of training, plus 4 hours of medication training if you give medications. Medicaid homecare workers take a 4-hour orientation before starting and finish 8 hours of core training within 120 days. |
| Exam | Agency: skills checked before you work alone. HCW and PSW: must pass orientation and core training evaluations. |
| Certification | Home Care Commission registry and credentialing for HCWs and PSWs. Optional Commission certification exempts you from core training and continuing education. |
| Background check | Agency caregivers: criminal records check. HCW and PSW: Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) check, redone every two years or on request. |
| Yearly training | Agency: 6 hours a year (plus 1 hour if giving medications). HCW and PSW: 12 hours every 24 months, including cultural competency. |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Agency licensing | Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, Health Care Regulation and Quality Improvement |
Training
If you work for a licensed in-home care agency, you take 4 hours of orientation and 8 hours of caregiver training, and your skills are checked before you work alone. If you give medications, add 4 hours of medication training. After that, you need 6 hours of training each year, plus 1 hour if you give medications.
Medicaid homecare workers and personal support workers take a 4-hour orientation before they are authorized to work, then 8 hours of core training within 120 days of enrolling. Core training covers safety, person-centered services, medication management, and help with daily living, and you must pass competency evaluations. After that, you need 12 hours every 24 months.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Yes. Under the Consumer-Employed Provider Program, Medicaid consumers hire their own homecare worker, and family members can be hired.
Spouses can be paid only through the Spousal Pay Program, when care needs go beyond what a spouse normally provides. A paid spouse cannot also act as the employer or representative.
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 | 12 hours (4 orientation plus 8 training) | 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 (OR) | $21.35 an hour* | $21.35 an hour* | $23.96 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 personal license. Agency caregivers need 12 hours of orientation and training, and Medicaid homecare workers must be approved and listed with the Oregon Home Care Commission.
Initial training is 4 hours of orientation plus 8 hours of training, with 4 more hours if you give medications. Medicaid homecare workers take the 4-hour orientation before they start and have 120 days to finish the 8 hours of core training.
Yes, if she gets Medicaid in-home services. Under the Consumer-Employed Provider Program, she can hire a family member as her homecare worker.
Only through the Spousal Pay Program, when your spouse's care needs go beyond what a spouse normally provides.
Home health and personal care aides in Oregon earn a median of $21.35 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.