Supporting Eva

Are you a good fit to support Eva? Scroll down to learn more.

Welcome and thank you for your interest

Eva looking at the camera and smiling

Thank you for your interest in being a personal care attendant (PCA) for Eva. The next few pages will give you information about what it is like to work for Eva and her family. By the time you finish, you will have a good idea if you think you would be a good fit. If you feel like you are a good fit, we will give you instructions about how to move forward with the hiring process.

A quick introduction to Eva

Eva is 19 years old and lives in West Bloomington, Minnesota. She graduated from Edina High School last year. Now she attends a transition program at South Education Center in Richfield, Minnesota. She is a very social gal and loves to text, talk on the phone, and hang out with friends. She is a total extrovert, but you might not know that at first because she is shy.

Eva loves to do crafts, dance, play games on her phone, and watch tv. Her favorite shows are Parenthood, Glee, and Gilmore Girls. Currently, she is in a bowling club on Saturday afternoons.

map of Hennepin county with a blue star showing that Eva lives in Bloomington

Eva's immediate family

Eva lives with her mom, Cindy, and her stepmom, Kristin. Eva's brother, Aiden, lives nearby in Eden Prairie. Eva's aunt Beth is an important person in her life. Biggie and Gypsy are the canine members of our family.

a photo of Cindy and Kristin, Eva's mom and stepmom
Kristin & Cindy, the parents
a photo of Aiden, Eva's brother
Aiden, Eva's brother
a photo of Beth, Eva's aunt
Beth, Eva's aunt

Eva and Maria talk about working together

What you would be doing for Eva if you were her PCA

In her book, How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kids for Success, Julie Lythcot-Haims lists 8 skills all 18-year-olds should have. What do you think they are and how many of them might apply to Eva? Here's the list:

  1. An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers. (landlords, store clerks, coworkers, health care providers, bus drivers)
  2. An 18-year-old must be able to find her way around.
  3. An 18-year-old must be able to manage her assigments, workloads, and deadlines.
  4. An 18-year-old must be able to contribute to the running of a household.
  5. An 18-year-old must be able to handle interpersonal problems.
  6. An 18-year-old must be able to cope with ups and downs of school, competition, tough teachers, bosses, and others.
  7. An 18-year-old must be able to earn and manage money.
  8. An 18-year-old must be able to take risks.

So, back to the question of how many of these Eva needs to be able to do? The answer: all of them.

That's where you come in. Because Eva has some disabilities, she faces challenges with some of the skills listed above. Your role is to be her partner and give her assistance when she needs it and stand back and let her do things on her own when she can. And she wants to be able to do these things without her parents whenever possible...like all 18-year-olds.

How you would support Eva in the community

In the community, you would accompany Eva to the activities she wants to do. Most of the time, the activities she enjoys center around:

  • planned activities such as bowling and organized social groups
  • shopping
  • eating out
  • Getting together with friends

How you would support Eva at home

Home leisure time activities for Eva include:

  • working on her computer
  • playing video games
  • watching tv and listening to music
  • talking on the phone and texting
  • crafts
  • playing card games

Eva needs help with these activities of daily living:

  • bathing
  • dressing
  • using the bathroom
  • preparing meals
  • getting into and out of bed

What are the basics you need to have to do work with Eva?

icon of a car
A working car
icon of a drivers license
A valid driver's license
an icon of a person helping another person transfer from a wheelchair
A good back
an image of a magnifying glass with a person in it
Pass a background check
icon of a person's head with a heart in it
Williingess to help Eva achieve her hopes and dreams

The minimum requirements to work with Eva are:

  • You need a car that works reliably. You won't need to use your car to transport Eva, but we do live in a part of Bloomington that is not served by public transportation.
  • You must have a valid driver's license
  • You must be able to perform transfers. We will teach you techniques that make it possible to safely transfer someone 3x your weigh easily and safely. You do need to have a healthy back, though.
  • You must be able to pass a background check. The background check is a required by the state of Minnesota
  • You have a desire and willingness to help Eva achieve her hopes and dreams

What kind of hours would you be working and how much would you make?

Hours

We are looking for someone to work between 10-20 hours a week. We can be flexible about schedule, but it must contain some weekend hours at least every other weekend. Eva goes to school, so school year hours start after 3:00 during the weekdays.

Rate of Pay

Starting pay for this position is $15.00 an hour

Next steps

Now you know a little about Eva and her family and what we are looking for in a PCA. So, what's next?

If you are ready to move forward the next step would be to set up an in-person meeting with Eva's Mom, Cindy. You can contact her at: evacom@googlegroups.com