Personal care tailwind
Call today, care tomorrow. A fully managed service for total peace of mind.
What is personal care?
Personal care for elders 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 may include:
Help with bathing
Our carers are able to help with bathing and showering
Applying creams
We'll help you apply any creams and lotions as required
Help with dressing
A carer can help you get up and dressed at your convenience
Oral hygiene
We'll help you to brush and take care of your teeth
Foot care
Especially important for those living with diabetes
Help with toileting
Including using a bedpan or a commode
Catheter bag support
We're also able to help with stomas and more
Help moving in bed
Our carers can reposition you safely and comfortably
The options for personal care
Like all forms of care, support with personal care is built completely around your individual needs and personal routines. If you like to wash before breakfast or have a bath before going to bed, a carer will happily follow your schedule, letting you live the way you want.
How can a carer support you?
Many carers support with other tasks in addition to personal care. In fact, they’re also trained to administer medication, help those with limited mobility to move safely around the home (especially using hoists and supports) and can prepare meals, complete household chores and even offer companionship, ongoing support and encouragement.
Administer medication
Including prompts or administering medication, even the more complex prescriptions
Help with mobility
We'll help you move around your home, whether through gentle support or hoisted transfers
Prepare meals
Our brilliant carers can prepare your favourite meals and snacks
Household chores
A trained carer can make sure your house always looks just the way you like it
Companionship
Supporting your independent living at home through friendly, personable companionship
Running errands
Whether it's collecting prescriptions, doing your food shopping or taking a pet to the vet
Personal care on a personal level
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.
Each carer is expertly trained to provide personal care in a way that is discreet and respectful of your personal boundaries. They undertake extensive training where they learn the importance of enabling your dignity and independence at all times.
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.
Arranging professional personal support for a loved one
Sometimes personal care matters can be difficult for a close family member of friend to carry out, with some feeling awkward about a change in relationship or uncomfortable about completing the more intimate tasks.
In instances like these, it can be much easier for a trained carer who is accustomed to supporting with personal care to step in and help. Choosing someone that your loved one feels comfortable with – whether they are male, female, young or old – means that carer becomes a regular friendly face offering gentle encouragement, and even an extra source of support.
Personal care for someone living with dementia
It is common for someone who is living with dementia to need support with personal care matters. But this can be difficult if that person is experiencing anxiety and confusion over who people are and shame and embarrassment over more intimate activities such as bathing and dressing.
We train our carers to try and understand any sources of anxiety or resulting aggression from someone who is living with a type of dementia. They offer gentle encouragement and support to help your loved one feel at ease.
Building trust is always essential, and a regular carer can build an ongoing relationship and rapport. That carer will promote independence as much as possible, allowing your loved one to make choices themselves and keep to the daily routines that are most important to them.
Over half of our customers are living with some form of dementia, which is why we provide dementia training to each of our carers. We have plenty of experts and specialists here who can help with promoting your loved one’s independence and advise on tactics if you or your family are struggling.
Support with a stoma, catheter or other form of clinical intervention
Having a stoma or catheter doesn’t mean that you can’t live independently and comfortably at home. With an expert team of registered nurses at Helping Hands, many of our carers are trained in changing catheter bags, stomas and different types of continence pads, always putting your dignity and comfort first.
It can be distressing when accidents happen, but your carer will make sure that you’re fully comfortable. They’ll help you change into clean clothes, with your dignity always their main focus.
Page reviewed by Louise Bradley, Regional Care Director, on June 13, 2022.
