To become a personal care assistant, you typically need at least a high school diploma or GED certificate and relevant experience. Although you may not need formal qualifications to work with individual clients, many employers, such as Medicare-certified home health and hospice agencies, require candidates to have a state license, which involves training and clinical experience. You may also need certification from the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), which requires completing training and passing a standardized exam. Beyond these educational qualifications, there are some additional skills and responsibilities needed to work in home care. As a personal care assistant, you work closely with patients and provide a variety of health care services, so it's vital that you understand patients’ needs through excellent communication and training. As an aide in a medical facility, your duties may involve caring for several patients simultaneously, so multi-tasking, time management, and organizational skills are essential in this role.