Washington, DC · personal care aide (PCA)
Washington, DC sets a high bar for personal care aides. Medicaid personal care aides must be certified home health aides, which takes 125 hours of training and a Board of Nursing exam, well above the 75-hour federal minimum for home health aides. Aides also need 12 hours of training every year.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Personal care aide (PCA), home health aide, participant-directed worker (PDW) |
| Training | 125 hours in a Board of Nursing approved program: 65 classroom, 20 lab, and 40 clinical. Current CPR and first aid also required. |
| Exam | DC Board of Nursing Home Health Aide certification exam |
| Certification | Home Health Aide certification from the DC Board of Nursing (DC Health) |
| Background check | Criminal background check, a TB skin test, and a yearly doctor’s statement that you are free of communicable disease |
| Yearly training | 12 hours of continuing education or in-service training a year |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed in DC sources for agency PCAs; ask the agency |
| Agency licensing | DC Health (Department of Health) home care agency license. Medicaid agencies must also meet federal home health agency rules. |
Training
Medicaid personal care aides in DC must hold Home Health Aide certification. That means finishing a 125-hour program approved by the DC Board of Nursing, with 65 hours in the classroom, 20 hours in a skills lab, and 40 hours of clinical practice, then passing the certification exam.
You also need current CPR and first aid certification, plus 12 hours of continuing education or in-service training every year.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Some family members can. Services My Way lets people in the Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities (EPD) Waiver direct their own care, for up to 16 hours a day.
DC Medicaid will not pay a spouse, other legally responsible relative, or court-appointed guardian to provide waiver personal care. A parent caring for an adult child is the exception and can be paid.
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 | 125 hours plus a Board of Nursing exam | 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 (DC) | $20.53 an hour* | $20.53 an hour* | $22.93 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.
Medicaid personal care aides need Home Health Aide certification from the DC Board of Nursing. That takes 125 hours of approved training and a passing exam score.
The approved program is 125 hours: 65 hours of classroom, 20 hours of lab, and 40 hours of clinical training.
Possibly, if she is in the EPD Waiver and uses Services My Way. Adult children are not on DC's list of relatives who cannot be paid, but spouses and guardians are, so confirm with the program.
Yes. Aides need 12 hours of continuing education or in-service training every year.
Home health and personal care aides in Washington, DC earn a median of $20.53 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.