Personal care
Hands-on help with bathing, dressing, the toilet and moving around the house, done with patience and privacy.
Care we offer
How it helps
Personal care is the help most parents find hardest to ask for. Our caregivers help with showers, getting dressed, using the toilet and getting in and out of bed or a chair. They go at your parent's pace, explain each step, and keep things private. Most families start with morning visits, when the shower and getting dressed take the most effort.
This may be right if
- Mom has stopped showering because she's scared of slipping
- Dad needs a hand getting out of bed or off the toilet
- Getting dressed now takes an hour and leaves them worn out
- You've been doing the bathing yourself and it's wearing on both of you
What a visit can include
You and your parent choose what's in the care plan. Caregivers follow it, and you can change it any time.
Bathing and grooming
- Shower or sponge bath, standing by or helping hands-on
- Hair washing, shaving, nail filing and skin lotion
- Getting dressed in clothes your parent picks
Toileting and moving
- Help to and from the bathroom, day or night
- Incontinence care and changing pads with care
- Getting in and out of bed, chairs and the car
- Walking beside them with a cane or walker
Around the visit
- Medication reminders from a pill organizer already set up
- Changing bed linens and starting laundry
- A short note for the family after the visit
Non-medical care
What caregivers don't do here
- Giving medication, filling pill organizers or giving injections
- Wound care, catheter care or other nursing tasks
- Lifting someone who can't bear any weight without the right equipment (we plan this with you at the assessment)
Not sure if a task is medical? Ask us at the assessment. We'd rather say no clearly than guess.
A typical morning visit
An example. Every plan is built around your parent's own routine.
- 8:00 Arrive, put the kettle on, and ask how the night went.
- 8:20 Shower with a shower chair, then help getting dressed.
- 9:10 Breakfast together and a reminder for the morning pills.
- 9:50 Make the bed, start the laundry, tidy the bathroom.
- 10:30 A short walk around the block or the hallway.
- 10:55 Write the visit note for the family and say goodbye.
Questions families ask
All questionsWhat if Mom refuses a shower?
It happens a lot, especially at first. Caregivers never force it. They try a different time, offer a sponge bath instead, or let your mom do as much as she can herself. We'll tell you in the visit note how it went.
Can we ask for a female or male caregiver?
Yes. Just tell us at the assessment. Many parents feel strongly about who helps them bathe, and we plan the schedule around it.
Do you bring a shower chair or grab bars?
We don't sell equipment, but at the assessment we point out where a shower chair, grab bar or raised toilet seat would help, and where families usually buy them.
Other kinds of care
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Talk to us about personal care.
Book a free in-home assessment, or call and tell us what's going on. No pressure, no long contract, and a written plan with the weekly cost before anything starts.