Appendix H NJ Curriculum for Personal Care Assistants in ResidencesAssisted Living ProgramsComprehensive Personal Care Homes~2.pdf

This document is the New Jersey Department of Health's curriculum for Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) working in Assisted Living Residences, Assisted Living Programs, and Comprehensive Personal Care Homes. The curriculum, developed in 1994 by the Assisted Living Professional Training Subcommittee, consists of 85 hours of training including 69 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of clinical experience. The program requires at least 45 hours focused on communication, interpersonal skills, infection control, promoting residents' independence, and safety/emergency procedures. The curriculum is divided into four modules covering core curriculum, psycho-social needs, physical needs, and spiritual/recreational/activity needs of residents.

The training program is administered through state-approved facilities and educational institutions, with specific requirements for instructor qualifications including registered professional nurses with minimum three years experience. Assessment Systems Inc. (ASI) provides support for development, administration, scoring and reporting of the Personal Care Assistant in Assisted Living Facilities Competency Evaluation (PCATCEP). The program includes a skills competency checklist evaluation component and requires both classroom performance and clinical skills demonstration for successful completion. Student-to-instructor ratios are capped at 20:1 for classroom instruction and 10:1 for clinical instruction.