
Personal Care Home Administrator (PCHA) Training
Personal Care Home Administrator 100-Hour Training
Penn State DuBois
| Class: | Personal Care Home Administrator 100-Hour Training |
| Delivery: | Online via Zoom |
| Dates & Times: | Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, March 2, 2026 to Friday, April 3, 2026 Monday and Wednesday classes 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (most classes will end by 4:30 pm) |
| Cost: | $1499 (this includes cost of the PCHA Exam) |
| Register: | Register for PCHA |
| 3/2/26 | 8:00-3:30 | Nutrition, Food Handling and Sanitation |
| 3/2/26 | 3:30-5:30 | Care for Residents with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities |
| 3/4/26 | 8:00-4:30 | Care of Residents with Dementia, Cognitive Impairments and Other Special Needs |
| 3/6/25 | 8:00-11:00 | Care for Residents with Mental Illness Part 1 |
| 3/9/26 | 8:00-3:30 | Medication Procedures, Medication Effects/Side Effect, Universal Precautions |
| 3/11/26 | 8:00-1:00 | Writing/Completing/Implementing Initial/Annual Assessments/Support Plans |
| 3/11/26 | 1:30-4:30 | Cultural Competency |
| 3/13/26 | 8:00-Noon | Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness |
| 3/16/26 | 8:00-11:00 | Resident Rights |
| 3/16/26 | Noon-4:00 | Recreation |
| 3/18/26 | 8:00-2:30 | Gerontology |
| 3/20/26 | 8:00-Noon | Community Resources, Social Service and Activities in the Community |
| 3/23/26 | 8:00-4:30 | Staff Supervision and Staff Training |
| 3/25/26 | 8:00-2:30 | Abuse/Neglect Prevention and Reporting |
| 3/27/26 | 8:00-Noon | Contract/Laws and Regulations |
| 3/30/26 | 8:00-5:30 | Personal Care Services/Personal Hygiene |
| 4/1/26 | 8:00-11:00 | Care for Residents with Mental Illness Part 2 |
| 4/1/26 | 11:30-3:30 | Budgeting, Financial Recordkeeping and Resident Records |
| 4/3/26 | 8:00-11:00 | Care for Residents with Mental Illness Part 3 |
Penn State Beaver
| Class: | Personal Care Home Administrator 100-Hour Training |
| Delivery: | Online via Zoom |
| Dates & Times: | Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings, April 7, 2026 - June 18, 2026 Complete Schedule |
| Cost: | $1499 (this includes cost of the PCHA Exam) |
| Register: | Register for PCHA |
Penn State Abington
| Class: | Personal Care Home Administrator 100-Hour Training |
| Delivery: | Online via Zoom |
| Dates: | Tuesdays, Thursdays and occasional Wednesday evenings February 17, 2026 to May 12, 2026 |
| Times: | 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. |
| Cost: | $ 1499 (this includes cost of the PCHA Exam) |
| Register: | Register for PCHA |
Course Overview
This course is for current and aspiring personal care administrators or nurses, caregivers, and healthcare professionals who wish to fulfill continuing education requirements.
In order to be hired and work as a Personal Care Home Administrator in Pennsylvania, you must meet the educational requirements (see below), complete the 100-hour program, pass the test, and attend a one-day Department of Human Services Orientation. There is no fee for the orientation.
- An associate degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university
- A license as a registered nurse from the Pennsylvania Department of State
- A license as a licensed practical nurse from the Pennsylvania Department of State and one year of experience in a related field
- A license as a nursing home administrator from the Pennsylvania Department of State
- For a home serving eight or fewer residents, a general education development diploma or high school diploma and two years of direct care or administrative experience in the human services field
Why choose the Penn State PCHA program?
- Earn your professional education with Penn State-the Big Ten in your backyard!
- Penn State offers online and in person options to fit your busy schedule each semester.
- Our instructors are subject matter experts.
- Our proven track record speaks for itself: we have trained hundreds of graduates since 2012 and have a pass rate of 98%.
Many US states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map.
Personal Care Home Administrator 100-Hour Training (the 100-hr. training contains all of the courses below.
- Personal Care Services and Hygiene (0.9 CEU)
- First Aid, CPR and Obstructed Airway Training (0.7 CEU)
Individuals with a valid certification from an approved provider in Adult CPR and First Aid are exempt from this course. Proof of certification is required. In accordance with §2600.63b, a portion of the CPR and first aid training is required to be in-person. Students must provide proof of approved training prior to taking the PCHA examination. - Nutrition, Food Handling, and Sanitation (0.7 CEU)
- Care for Residents with Dementia (0.8 CEU)
- Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Reporting (0.6 CEU)
- Cultural Competency (0.3 CEU)
- Gerontology (0.6 CEU)
- Writing Assessments (0.5 CEU)
- Care for Residents with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (0.2 CEU)
- Care for Residents with Mental Illness (0.9 CEU)
- Medication Procedures (0.7 CEU)
- Fire Prevention (0.4 CEU)
- Recreation (0.4 CEU)
- Budgeting and Financial Recordkeeping (0.4 CEU)
- Community Resources (0.4 CEU)
- Staff Supervision (0.8 CEU)
PCHA Attendance and course make-up policy: If you miss a class or a
significant portion of a class (more than 30 minutes), please be aware that there will be an additional fee to schedule a make-up class. You will need to pay for that class again in full at a separate rate of $16 per hour of the class(es) missed. This policy helps us to ensure that all students stay on track and are prepared for the upcoming exam.
Our goal is to support you in being fully prepared to pass the exam. If you anticipate any scheduling conflicts or have questions about this policy, please feel free to reach out. We’re here to support your learning experience and want to help you stay on course and succeed.
Annual Training 24 CEUs
For more information, contact Continuing Education at 814-375-4715 or email duboisoutreach@psu.edu.
PCHA Exam: Licensed Nursing Home Administrators who wish to become credentialed as a Personal Care Home Administrator must complete the orientation and exam. The fee for the exam is $150. Please contact our office at 814-375-4715 or duboisoutreach@psu.edu to schedule an appointment to take this exam online or in-person.
Cancellations and refunds
Payment is due upon registration. Students may request a registration cancellation through the start date of the course. A $25 cancellation fee will apply. No refunds will be given for withdrawal requests after the course start date. The University reserves the right to cancel course selections. If the course is cancelled, the student will be issued a full refund.
Participating Campuses:
- Abington
- Altoona
- Available through all Penn State Commonwealth campuses
- Beaver
- Behrend
- Berks
- Brandywine
- DuBois
- Fayette
- Great Valley
- Greater Allegheny
- Harrisburg
- Hazleton
- Lehigh Valley
- Mont Alto
- New Kensington
- Schuylkill
- Scranton
- Shenango
- Wilkes-Barre
- York
Program Delivery:
virtual