Personal care at home
Help with the parts of the day that have become difficult — washing, dressing, getting around the house, and eating properly — done in a way that keeps some dignity in it.
Photograph to source: a support worker steadying an older woman as she walks from a hallway into a kitchen, both focused on the task rather than the camera, ordinary home, daylight
What personal care covers
- Bathing, showering, and washing
- Dressing and undressing
- Toileting, continence support, and changing
- Getting in and out of bed, and moving around the house
- Grooming, shaving, hair, and nail care
- Preparing meals, and help with eating where it is needed
- Reminders and help with a daily routine
Who it is for
- Someone who can manage most of the day but not the start or the end of it
- Someone recovering from a fall, an operation, or an illness
- Someone whose mobility has changed and whose bathroom has become the problem
- A family carer doing the physical parts alone and running out of road
What to expect from a caregiver
The same person wherever we can manage it. Personal care is close work, and being washed by a stranger you have not met is different from being washed by someone you know.
They will ask before they do things, work at the pace of the person in front of them, and take the time the task actually needs rather than the time it is scheduled for.
If the fit is wrong, say so. We would rather change the person than have somebody dread the visit.
Common questions
Can we start with just a couple of visits a week?
Yes. A lot of arrangements start with two or three mornings and grow from there, or shrink once somebody is back on their feet.
Will it be the same caregiver every time?
That is what we aim for, and it is the part of this we work hardest at. Where someone is away, we tell you who is coming instead rather than sending a stranger unannounced.
What if my mother refuses help?
It is common, and it is usually about control rather than about the help. Tell us on the call — starting small, and with something practical rather than personal, often works better than starting with a shower.
Do you help at night?
Yes, including overnight and waking-night arrangements. Say so on the call, because those are arranged differently from daytime visits.
Talk to us about personal care
Tell us what the difficult parts of the day are and we will tell you what we would put in place.
Prefer to talk now? 902-877-8450