I AM PCA: Leslie Washington heads PCA’s assessment department
“The Assessment Department is the first step in determining eligibility for some long-term care services offered by PCA,” says Leslie Washington, director of long-term care assessment at PCA.
Washington has been with PCA for almost 32 years. She started on the front lines as an assessment worker and now manages a department of more than 50 employees. PCA’s Assessment Department completed 79,000 level of care assessments for long-term care services and re-determinations for individuals enrolled in the Community HealthChoices Waivern Program in fiscal year 2025.
“The assessment function has evolved since I was hired as an assessment worker in 1994,” says Washington. “Back then, we were involved with ensuring individuals were financially eligible for long-term care services, including those individuals who wanted to apply for the nursing home grant to pay for their nursing home stay. We are now only involved with clinical determination for long-term care services. If people call the Helpline and are interested in long-term care services, the next step would be to determine if the individual is clinically eligible for their service of choice by completing a state assessment tool called the Functional Eligibility Determination or FED.”
Community HealthChoices (CHC) is Pennsylvania’s long-term services and supports managed care program for people with both Medicaid and Medicare. The program helps people perform daily activities in their homes, such as bathing, dressing, preparing meals and taking medications.
According to Washington, the FED assessment tool (used since 2019) takes a deep look at how the individual was functioning over the past three days before the date of the assessment visit. The assessment also determines if an individual is eligible to receive nursing home care services. The outcome of the assessment would need to be reflected as nursing facility clinically eligible (NFCE) for this type of care. Individuals who have this assessment outcome can also elect to have services in their home versus receiving them in a nursing home.
“The assessment looks at a person’s functionality vs. diagnosis,” says Washington, who holds a Master of Arts in Community Health Education from Arcadia University. “We meet individuals and appreciate input from involved parties who can shed light on a person’s condition, especially when cognition is an issue. However, we don’t deal with family dynamics. It’s truly what the individual wants and prefers. If we find the person to have decision-making ability, our role is to follow the person’s wishes.”
Washington enjoys her work because she believes in PCA’s mission of maximizing people’s abilities and helping them live life to their fullest. “I am a caregiver myself for my mother,” she says. “Being a caregiver has helped me see things through the lens of the people we serve. It’s harder for people to understand the importance of people living in the community with supports, unless you’ve seen it first-hand.”
The assessment function at PCA has changed significantly over the past three decades. “When I first started out in assessment, we were not paperless and had limited access to computers. Back then, we assisted with completing the financial packets for long-term care services,” Washington says. “Now, the Independent Enrollment Broker is responsible for completing the financial assessment for some long-term care services. Our department focuses more on the clinical aspect. The assessment workers visit every day anywhere between 5 to 7 individuals living in the community to complete an assessment.”
But it’s not just about the numbers. Assessment workers help navigate individuals through the complex process of accessing long-term care services.
Washington’s staff often receives “kudos” about the great work they are doing for older adults. Here is one example.
“I wanted to recognize PCA’s assessment worker for going above and beyond by providing exceptional support to an older adult during a recent assessment. The consumer’s wife, who recently passed away, paid all their bills and managed their finances. The consumer missed the deadline to renew an application for assistance through PECO. He was barely able to cover the cost of the bill. The man does not speak English. So, he was unable to call PECO to ask for assistance with reconciling the bill because they do not have language interpreters. The man has no family or friends to assist him.
The assessment worker called PECO for the consumer using a language interpretation service. The man was able to get signed up for the assistance program. He will even receive a partial refund due to overpayment. The consumer cried and expressed his gratitude for the assessment worker’s assistance.”
It’s important to note that PCA does not have the final say in whether an individual will receive services. The Independent Enrollment Broker is responsible for completing the financial assessment, which is also part of determining whether individuals are eligible to receive state funded long-term care services. Individuals can appeal if they are denied these services.
PCA assessment workers can also refer individuals to other programs. These might include PCA’s OPTIONS Program, PCA’s Caregiver Support Program or Pennsylvania’s LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly) Program.
For more information about PCA’s assessment process for long-term care services, see article below. To request an assessment, call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040 or go to www.pcaCares.org/request-assistance.
PCA assessment for long-term care services
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) provides in-person assessments to determine eligibility for long-term care. These evaluations use a state-required tool to determine functional eligibility.
Assessments are available to:
• Adults age 60 and older.
• Adults age 18 and older who are seeking long-term care services.
Long-term care services include the following:
• Home-based care.
• Community care.
• Residential care.
The assessment tool helps to determine a level of care that focuses on the person’s functional abilities. This is one step in the eligibility process. Individuals must meet both functional and financial requirements to qualify for long-term care services. There is no cost for the assessment. Completing an assessment does not obligate anyone to enroll in services. For more information, call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040 or go to www.pcaCares.org
