Personal care at home in Sandy Springs refers to assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, or toileting, etc. The key is to determine the right level of assistance for the individual to remain as independent as possible. Sometimes, seniors prefer to bathe without assistance, or put on their own clothes, for example. The goal of home care is to assist only in the areas the person needs help, allowing them to be as independent as possible.
What Personal Care at Home Includes in Sandy Springs
Personal care means assisting the individual in performing different tasks related to their everyday personal care routines. Sometimes assisting in bathing means staying with the individual in the shower to make sure they are safe. It can mean assisting in dressing by putting on shoes or helping with clothes with difficult zippers. Other tasks may include help with grooming, toileting or ambulating.
The level of assistance provided should depend on what the individual actually needs.
For some, assistance in bathing may mean helping them to select safe clothes to wear and assisting in the dressing. Others may need help in dressing, and personal care aides may assist in numerous other activities of the individual's daily routine. The point is to assist only in the areas that the person requires assistance with, and to leave them as independent as they can be.
When exploring elder care in Sandy Springs, rather than saying “mom needs personal care,” families should explain which tasks mom is having difficulty completing.
Questions to consider may include:
- Does your mom need someone to be in the bathroom with her during her bath?
- Does your mom need assistance putting on her clothes?
- Does your mom need assistance with grooming?
- Does your mom need assistance with getting to and from the bathroom?
- Does your mom need assistance with moving about the house?
Answers to these questions help define a Care Plan.
What does a personal care visit look like?
A care visit is based on the Care Plan and the older adult’s daily routine. A care visit in the morning may look like assistance with getting out of bed, bathing, grooming and dressing, assisting with breakfast, and other activities planned for the day.
Each visit doesn't have to be in the same order.
For example, if your dad prefers to take a shower in the morning, the care visit may look like assistance with getting to and from the bathroom, and then helping your dad shower, dress, groom and toilet if needed.
Your parent may then move on to breakfast or another familiar activity.
An evening routine may look differently.
For example, the focus could be changing clothes, grooming, and/or toileting.
It may be preparing for bedtime and/or moving about the house.
The key is that the visit should reflect the person’s routine as opposed to making every client adjust to the same schedule.
Personal care routines, including bathing and dressing, have to do with personal privacy.
The caregiver’s role is as important as completing the required task.
If your parent can personally brush their hair or wash their face, choose the clothes they wish to wear, or perform other routine activities independently, it is best to not assume the responsibility to do it for them.
The Care Pro can then focus on supporting activities for which assistance is required.
It is vital that the person knows and is comfortable with the Care Pro, what is being done to support them, and the expectations for that visit.
The Care Pro may help explain what part of the personal care routine requires hands-on assistance, or why the Care Pro is assisting with the activity (like ‘We can do this part together’).
The Care Pro may also assist the person with putting on a favorite set of products in a particular order.
Families with a loved one living in Sandy Springs who is considering a professional caregiver may want to bring up expectations for routine preferences, alongside personal assistance.
A good Care Plan should include not only the actions to be taken, but the preferred way that the action is integrated into the day.
How Sandy Springs Families Figure Out How Much Help is Needed
The level of assistance with the activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living should be aligned with the routine.
Many older adults may only need assistance with the activities of daily living in the morning.
Others may be able to manage the activities of daily living throughout the day and need assistance with the routine in the evening.
There are some older adults who require assistance throughout the day.
I would start with when problems occur.
Is help needed only in the morning to take a bath and get dressed?
Is help needed in the evening to take a bath?
Is assistance needed to perform many activities of daily living throughout the day?
Are there problems every day or on certain days?
It is important that families also look at what they do for themselves.
Do they come over every morning to give a bath?
This may say something different than if the family helps only once or twice a week.
Do not select a schedule based on what you think is typical.
Work with the actual routine to determine what the Sandy Springs office can provide.
Personal Care Versus Home Health or Nursing Care
Home Instead’s personal care is non-medical.
It's important to understand where the boundary lies, prior to care commencement.
Care Pros are not trained in, nor are they able to provide, skilled nursing or medical care.
They may assist in bathing, dressing and grooming as long as these activities are included in the care plan.
They may also assist in toileting and mobility as long as these activities are included in the care plan.
They are also able to assist in meal preparation, meal transportation, meal consumption, and activities of daily living.
They may also provide assistance in and out of the vehicle and accompany the client on various outings.
They do not provide clinical assessment, evaluation, or treatment.
Care Pros are able to assist your family member in engaging in various non-medical activities so that your family member is able to focus on their medical health and wellness.
This care does not address the clinical needs of the individual, and, in some instances, may complement the care received by the family member.
The important consideration is who is best positioned to address the needs of the individual.
In the case where the family member needs to receive more traditional home health care services, the family can engage the services of more than one home care agency.
Families are also able to engage the services of the Atlanta 105 office for wider home care services and determine what care services are non-medical in nature.
Why Is Your Family Member Not Willing to Accept Personal Care?
There are differences in accepting personal care versus accepting assistance with shopping and housekeeping.
Your family member may feel uncomfortable with the idea that someone else will take over bathing, grooming, and dressing, which are private activities.
They may be more at ease if the care is focused on assistance with the task that is causing the distress.
Maybe they want help with showering and dressing, but can handle the rest.
Maybe they don’t want help with grooming but do need help with mobility around the house.
Maybe they want help getting ready for the day and can take it from there.
Let your parent define the routine.
What do they still want to do on their own?
What do they want help with?
At what time do they want the visit?
Are there parts of the routine they want done a specific way?
These should be reflected in the Care Plan as well.
Personal Care should allow the older adult to be actively involved in their day as much as possible.
Families interested in personal support at home in Sandy Springs, Georgia can learn more by describing two or three key personal support routines of concern.
FAQs on Personal Care in Sandy Springs
Can a Care Pro help my parent with bathing?
Yes, bathing is a personal care activity that may be part of non-medical home care, and the Care Plan may specify the type of help needed.
Is personal care help with dressing and grooming?
Yes, personal care may help with dressing and grooming and other activities of personal hygiene as indicated in the Care Plan.
Can personal care include toileting support?
Toileting support can be included as part of personal care, as long as it has been documented in the Care Plan.
Will a Care Pro do everything for my parent?
Not necessarily. The amount of assistance should be based on your parent’s needs as well as what your parent is comfortable doing on his/her own.
Is personal care the same as nursing care?
Not the same. Non-medical home care, i.e., personal care, is different from medical care, clinical treatment, and skilled nursing. The provision of medical and nursing care should be done by a licensed health care professional.
How can I tell how often my parent needs personal care?
Think of the routines where assistance is required, and at what times. Then discuss with our Sandy Springs office what assistance is required and what your preferred schedule is, so the team can let you know what support is available to you.
If your parent needs personal care in Sandy Springs, we recommend that you begin with your parent’s routine, and let us know what your parent is still able and comfortable doing on his/her own. Write down the activities where assistance is required. Let us know when these activities occur, and what your parent still wants to do on his/her own. Our team in Sandy Springs can provide non-medical care and assistance to your parent in the comfort of your home.
About the Author
Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping older adults and their families find the right support to remain safe and comfortable at home. He owns Home Instead locations serving communities in Georgia and Louisiana and has worked closely with families, caregivers, and care professionals through many decisions involving aging and in-home care.
