Personal care is for anyone that requires extra support in maintaining personal hygiene, needs help with getting dressed or support with their physical health. It can be provided for anyone who has additional needs, who is elderly or frail, has a specific medical condition such as dementia or physically is unable to care for themselves.
Having someone else provide personal care to you can be quite a daunting experience at first. It’s a very intimate element of care and sometimes individuals can be quite resistant to getting this type of support. However, our friendly carers have lots of experience in providing personal care to people in different situations and with a variety of different care needs. They’ll take the time to get to know you and take things at your pace, ensuring you’re cared for in a dignified and respectful way. Whatever your requirements – and whether you’re more comfortable with a male or female carer – let us know and we’ll arrange your care to your preferences and needs.
Call us today to find out more Email usWhat symptoms can be helped with personal care?
The need for personal care can arise for lots of different people and for different reasons. For some, personal care for them is help getting dressed in the morning because they may be in their senior years and have arthritis or may have just had a stroke, making it difficult for them to manoeuvre their arms above their heads to put on jumpers or reach their feet to put their socks and shoes on. This is all the support they may need in term of personal care, as they are able to see to their own toileting needs and get in and out of bed safely by themselves.
For those living with the later stages of dementia, they may be unable to take care of some or any elements of their own personal care – which is attributed to a significant loss of memory and remembering that they need to wash or how to go to the toilet. In this instance, a carer can support with gentle reminders to empty their bowels or ensure they are wearing protective underwear at night in case of any accidents, changing these when necessary.
Palliative care and end-of-live care will usually have elements of personal care within the individual’s support plan, depending on the stage of their life they are at and the level of care required. For those in the last few days and weeks of their life, one or more carers may need to assist with changing catheters, bed bathing, feeding via a PEG feeding tube and oral care. Any elements of clinical care, such as the changing of stoma bags or PEG tubes, are overseen by our experienced team of nurses, who will ensure that your carers have the right training to care for your medical needs.
What can I expect with personal care?
Personal care is very different for each individual and may change on a daily or weekly basis, depending on their situation, medical needs and health. The main thing to expect with personal care is things taken at a pace that suits you, with the aim to enable you to continue living independently in your own home.
If you have more complex care needs, you may choose to opt for live-in care – where a carer will live with you in your home and assist with round-the-clock support. If you require personal care that involves manual handling, i.e. assisted hoists, then your live-in carer will have support from another local Helping Hands carer, who may also cover their breaks too. Although you will have one main carer who will get to know you and your care routines in detail, other carers will be involved with your care too, so that we can support you safely and effectively.
How to arrange personal care
Regardless of your current situation, we can support with all types of personal care – from help with putting on your compression socks, helping you to shave or put on your make up, to assistance with washing, toileting needs and dressing. It may be quite difficult for you to discuss some of these more personal elements of care in front of family and loved ones, which we completely understand. Whatever you feel comfortable with, let us know and we can arrange to meet with you again separately to discuss your personal care needs.
To arrange a meeting with your local Helping Hands team, call us today or speak to us directly on our live chat service. A member of our customer care team will get to know you and your current care needs and will then find a time and date suitable for a local care manager to come and meet you in your home.
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