Discover what personal care is and how it supports dignity, independence, and wellbeing at home with daily assistance across nutrition, hygiene, and mobility.
As we navigate life, our ability to manage everyday tasks can change. Whether due to age, illness, disability, or recovery, support is needed to carry out those essential daily activities.
By understanding personal care, individuals, families, and carers can be empowered to make better choices and ensure the right support is on hand when needed most.
In this blog, we explain what personal care is and how it’s provided before outlining the key personal care services you should expect to receive.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) defines “personal care” as support with essential physical aspects of daily life. These aspects include assistance with activities such as eating, drinking, bathing, dressing, and maintaining personal hygiene.
When someone reaches a stage in life where they can no longer carry out some or all of these activities independently, personal care becomes essential. Not only does it maintain their health and overall wellbeing, but it also supports them to remain as independent and dignified as possible.
Personal care can be provided by anyone, anywhere. It does not require formal qualifications, so it is available for family, friends, or loved ones to offer at home.
Covering the essential daily activities, here is a list of essential personal care services you should expect to receive:
As far as personal care is concerned, assisting with nutrition is probably the number one priority. Healthy eating and drinking ensure optimal physical and mental health, while contributing to better moods, energy levels and stronger immunity.
Furthermore, maintaining healthy nutrition manages stress and chronic conditions, alongside supporting recovery and offering longer-term resilience. Beyond assisting with eating and drinking, supporting nutrition as a personal care service can include meal preparation, such as shopping for the goods and cooking.
Mobility is another vital aspect of personal care because it directly affects our independence. From dressing to nutrition and hygiene, when not being able to move freely, we can struggle with every activity associated with personal care.
Personal care services with mobility can include helping someone in and out of bed, transferring to and from chairs, moving on a wheelchair, and other gentle support around the home.
While maintaining dignity and self-respect, assisting with hygiene is essential for protecting physical health. From preventing infections to reducing the transmission of germs that can create illnesses, hygiene is critical for personal care.
The services you can expect for hygiene with personal care include:
Staying hygienic and well-groomed instils a sense of physical and emotional comfort. We all deserve to stay healthy and clean, and doing so restores our confidence and wellbeing.
Dressing is an important part of personal care and is closely linked to both hygiene and overall wellbeing. Looking our best is one thing, but dressing and undressing are just as important for our cleanliness and physical health.
Personal care support with dressing includes assistance with choosing the right clothes, dressing and undressing, and ensuring our clothes are clean, comfortable, and appropriate for whatever occasion and personal preference.
We implore that this support should always be provided respectfully and sensitively, encouraging independence wherever possible. After all, dressing is integral to preserving dignity and inspiring confidence. A positive self-image serves everyone in social situations, reflecting respect for oneself and others.
Another essential aspect that preserves personal hygiene, dignity and wellbeing is toileting. As a vital personal care service, toilets help prevent infections, skin issues, and UTIs.
Regarding personal care services, toileting assistance may require helping someone use the toilet, changing pads and managing catheters or stomas.
Those with mobility or continence issues require dignified toileting assistance to preserve their independence, self-esteem and social acceptance. By assisting with toileting, we can support comfort, promote confidence and prevent unnecessary physical and emotional pain.
Medication plays a crucial role in managing health and supporting wellbeing as part of personal care. Assistance with medication can include organising prescriptions, providing reminders, or administering certain treatments, such as eye drops or creams.
It’s important to note that certain medications must be administered by a healthcare professional or under their instruction, depending on the category of drug. For example, prescription-only medicines (POMs) require a doctor’s prescription and Patent Specific Direction (PSD) for administration by others.
Providing helpful domestic tasks with personal care can ensure a clean and organised home that promotes better physical and mental wellbeing, while reducing any stress and creating space to accommodate self-care.
These domestic tasks can include cleaning, laundry, washing up, and gardening. Keeping things clean and tidy promotes self-esteem, dignity and improves overall home life for other residents or visitors.
Companionship supports personal care by combating loneliness and supporting mental health through social engagement, stimulation and emotional support. This companionship can be as simple as making conversation to organising fun activities or day trips.
At Kemble at Home, we’re an independent, family-run care company providing compassionate and dignified personal care services at home in the heart of Herefordshire.
Officially recognised as “outstanding” by the CQC, our person-centred care approach is gentle, respectful, and professional. We focus on supporting independence while delivering the highest standards of personal care, all within the comfort and familiarity of your own home.
If you would like to learn more about how our personal care services can support you or a loved one, please get in touch to speak with a friendly member of the Kemble at Home team.
