What is personal care?
Personal care is the support and supervision of daily personal living tasks and private hygiene and toileting, along with dressing and maintaining your personal appearance.
Personal care can cover, but is not limited to:
- Bathing and showering, including bed-baths
- Applying lotions and creams as required
- Dressing and getting ready for bed
- Oral hygiene
- Applying make-up, and hair care
- Support with shaving
- Foot care, especially if you are diabetic need to be extra vigilant with your feet
- Helping you to the toilet, including using a commode or bed pan
- Changing continence pads, along with cleaning intimate areas
- Support moving position in bed, to stretch and prevent bed sores
- Changing or maintaining a stoma or catheter bag, or other form of clinical intervention
In getting to know you as a person, your care plan will outline your likes and dislikes, the hygiene or beauty products you want to use and what – and who – you feel most comfortable with. Particular tasks, will always be outlined in your support plan with specific instructions for your carer.
All carers are trained to the highest standard to provide personal care in a way that is discreet and respectful of your personal boundaries. They undertake thorough training to learn and understand the importance of enabling your dignity and independence at all times, whilst respecting your privacy.
Even though carers are trained to provide all aspects of personal care, there may be some things you’d prefer to do for yourself. A good carer will always give you space when you want it and encourage your independence wherever they can. All personal care needs will be based around your individual needs and personal routines, ie, if you prefer to eat or wash first, this will be adapted around you.
