Personal care in Prairieville allows an older adult to remain independent while getting help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and other daily living activities. I am looking for a Care Plan that describes the limits or bounds on the help requested, the activities the client remains capable of performing, and how the client’s privacy and dignity be protected.
Personal care in Prairieville lessens the burden of having to do it all or of having to take over the morning or evening routine. Based on the client’s Care Plan, your parent may want help with one or two activities that have become harder to do, and may want to continue to do the routine on their own.
What Does ‘Respectful Bathing and Dressing Support’ Mean in Prairieville?
Bathing and dressing are personal, self-managed, self-determined routines. The right support should not make them rushed, exposed, or nonparticipatory.
Depending on the Care Plan, personal care could involve:
- Dressing assistance with preparation and engagement of fasteners and fastener types of clothing, shoes, etc.
- Grooming support
- Bathroom preparation for the bathing support
- Support for all, or parts, of the bathing routine
- Support for other bathroom related routines
- Other support related to the routine, as described in the Care Plan
The level of support required should match the needs of the client, as determined by the client. One client may wish to retain control of bathing, while seeking support for grooming. The other client may wish to control dress grooming; bathing may be retained by the client.
This distinction is important.
It is preferable for me to construct a routine around particular tasks as opposed to “help with bathing.” A better Care Plan shows where help comes in, where it ends, and what the person wants no help with.
Families can review other home care service options through our Baton Rouge office to determine what options may be available if personal care is just one of the supports to be provided.
How I Keep Choice, Privacy, and Pace in the Routine
Personal care should be centered around the preferences of the older adult.
Before I settle into a routine, I would need to know the following:
- What time does the person bathe?
- Do they prefer a shower, bath, or a different routine?
- What parts do they want help with?
- What parts do they want done privately?
- Where do they get dressed?
- What way do they dress in? Do they select clothes the night before or in the morning?
- What part of the routine do they want done a certain way?
- In the morning, does the person need more support than what is expected by the family to be given?
Details such as these may seem small, but they provide the support needed to feel respectful.
A morning in Prairieville could be described as the following: clothes are left in the spot where the person gets dressed, towels and toiletries are placed in the bathroom, and the Care Pro provides only the aid noted in the Care Plan and provides the rest of the support needed to ensure the routine remains private. If that is the preference, then it should remain the plan.
This is not a race.
If your parent has always taken time selecting a shirt, fixing their hair, or sitting for a few minutes between parts of the morning, there is no need to rush their personal care.
I suggest families ask the care recipient what they are comfortable with as well. The caregiver may think the care recipient needs assistance while the care recipient may think otherwise.
What Can a Care Pro Notice and Report Without Making Clinical Decisions?
A Care Pro can observe changes in a routine of personal care and factually report those observations. A Care Pro is not a diagnostician and cannot change the order and/or instructions.
Let me give you an example.
An observation may be:
- “She asked for assistance with the task of dressing.”
- “He said that his shirt caused him discomfort when reaching for it.”
- “She chose not to shower today.”
- “He required a longer time for his grooming routine.”
Those observations describe the Care Pro's perception and what the Care Pro heard.
Those statements constitute a departure from the non-medical Care Pro role unless the information came from an appropriate health care professional and is included in the instructions.
To the best of your ability, follow the care plan. For things that occur while bathing or dressing the appropriate next step is to document the observation and communicate that in accordance with the care plan. These types of queries should be directed to the patient’s doctor, nurse, or therapist.
That’s the proper balance as this family has come to expect for care in the Baton Rouge area. Home care provides essential supports to personal day to day activities, and stops short of providing a complete substitute for skilled medical care.
Questions to Ask Before Adding Personal Care to the Care Plan
I would say be specific before personal care is instituted.
Ask more than just, “Can someone help my parent bathe?” to determine what the personal care routine will entail.
|
Question |
Matter |
|
What part of the bath or what part of the dressing will the Care Pro help with? |
Avoids a Care Pro expectation of a high level of personal care that is unspoken and vague |
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What can my parent continue to do themselves? |
Personal care should allow for continuing the parent’s existing level of independence |
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How will my parent’s privacy be addressed during bathing and dressing? |
Care Pro should indicate care plan how privacy during bathing and dressing will be addressed. |
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Can preferences be addressed in the care plan? |
Care Pro should be flexible and provide care to personal preferences. |
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If my parent declines help, what should the Care Pro do? |
Changes in my parents’ care can happen at any time. The question is how families are informed about those changes. |
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How are sudden changes in routine communicated to families? |
It is important that families and care teams know why changes are made to the routines in order to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings. |
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What is the cut-off point for families to seek clinical care? |
Personal care falls on the non-clinical side of care, so the parents needing care would need to contact clinically-trained staff in these instances. |
I would encourage you to ask these questions of your parents in person every time you are able.
Personal care should include the presence of the care receiver, not the absence of the care receiver.
For families comparing local care support options, the Home Instead Baton Rouge service area is helpful to check how different forms of in-home care fit into the larger care support options available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Care in Prairieville
Can Care Pros assist with bathing or dressing?
Assistance with bathing, dressing, or grooming is included in a care plan when care activities are included. The care plan indicates how much help is needed. Some care recipients may need support with many steps of a given routine. Others may only need support with one step in the routine.
How is personal care privately delivered?
Privacy is determined by knowing preferences. The care plan indicates which steps require assistance and which the care recipient prefers to perform without assistance. Care Pros should provide no assistance unless communication confirms assistance is required.
Does personal care mean my parent has to give up independence?
No. With personal care, a parent may receive assistance only with tasks that are too difficult. They still have the freedom to make other decisions and retain independence with choosing clothing, some level of bathing, grooming and starting their day.
What if my parent does not want help every day?
This would be addressed in the Care Plan. There may be instances when they want assistance more and there may be instances when they want less. Communication via the proper procedures is important to ensure the Care Pro is on the same page of routines as the family and the care team.
Is personal care the same as skilled nursing or home health?
No. Personal care is non-medical home care. Care Pros assist with non-medical/non-skill routine and daily living activities, but are not intended to replace other health care professionals.
When should I consider adding personal care to a Care Plan?
I would consider adding it to the Care Plan when some level of bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or another personal activity of daily living becomes too difficult to manage without assistance. There is no need to wait until someone needs total assistance for every task of the day.
Talk to Our Baton Rouge Team About Personal Care in Prairieville
To begin to think about personal care in Prairieville, consider your parent's usual routines, and consider what activities they are most capable of performing without assistance, but still need help with, and discuss their desired level of privacy and how you can help with these needed Plan interventions.
Our Baton Rouge team can help you elaborate on the details. They can assist you in understanding how our non-medical home care services can benefit your situation.
Explore the Home Instead services to optimize care in Prairieville.
About the Author
Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping older adults and their families find practical support at home. As the owner of Home Instead locations serving Baton Rouge and other communities, he shares guidance on home care, family decision-making, and building care around each person’s routines and preferences.
