For those who are ageing or currently living with a disability, some of the day to day tasks most take for granted such as dressing, toileting and general hygiene can be challenging. If you’re having trouble with any of these, personal care may be right for you. It provides you with the support you need from expert Carers, in an environment that’s comfortable for you.
What is Personal Care?
Personal care is in-home care, or care within disability housing that involves providing support to people who require additional help to complete more personal or private, daily tasks.
You can receive personal care in a comfortable safe space, where you can maintain your everyday lifestyle. With the right personal carer, you will receive the support you need, from patient and understanding Carers that love what they do. The right caregiver will provide you with a sense of companionship, general advice, and a sympathetic ear when you need to chat with someone.
When Do I Need Personal Care?
When basic day to day tasks become challenging, it might be the right time to invest in personal care. It’s common for the elderly or people living with a disability to feel uncomfortable talking about personal topics, especially when they need support and it can be hard to accept help.
However, you can look out for several general signs to know whether you may need personal care:
- Bathing has become a daunting and stressful process.
- You find you’re infrequently changing your clothes because undressing and dressing is challenging.
- Maintaining general hygiene has become challenging.
As we age, personal care becomes more demanding, and it may become difficult to dress, bathe, or use the bathroom. The same applies if we fall ill or have a disability that prevents us from completing our daily routine tasks.
Although you can help your loved one with personal hygiene, seeking professional assistance is recommended, mainly because it benefits them in many aspects.
What are the Benefits of Personal Care?
The benefits of personal care are endless, ranging from preventing infections, promotion of good hygiene and restoring one’s independence.
Here are some of the benefits of personal care:
- It can help to restore a sense of dignity and independence:
- Promotes good hygiene: Personal care helps you maintain cleanliness and good overall health, reducing the risk of falling sick and suffering from an infection.
- Maintains a good quality of life: among the primary goals of personal care is to promote quality of life by enhancing physical health, mental health, and safety. Personal carers are trained to issue reminders, monitor medication, and safeguard disabled and elderly individuals.
- Allowing seniors to live independently: Personal care involves supporting you to complete their daily activities as independently as possible.
- Promotes an engaging social life: Living alone can be isolating and lonely and may lead to depression. Having a personal carer means you have someone to talk to daily.
What’s Included in Personal Care?
Like any other form of care, personal care focuses on enhancing one’s quality of life. It’s customised to match an individual’s needs, preferences, and personal routines.
But what exactly is included in personal care?
Although the needs and preferences vary from one older adult to the other, there are several general activities you’ll find in all personal care, including:
Personal care includes:
- Shampooing, dressing, shaving
- Hairstyling, teeth cleaning, denture cleaning
- Grooming and personal hygiene
- Toileting
- Mobility and transfer in and out of bed
- assistance in using continence aids and appliances and managing continence.
Get the right personal carer
Several reasons may lead to the need to arrange a Personal Career. Perhaps you need help due to your age, illness, or disability. Whatever the reason, finding the right personal carer is key to an improved quality of life.
If you’re looking for personal care services across Australia, look no further than OSAN Ability. Being NDIS-registered, we’ve provided the elderly and NDIS participants with personal care services for years. Contact us today for more information
