Personal Care

Personal care refers to the everyday support someone might need with tasks related to their body, hygiene, and appearance—things like washing, bathing or showering, getting dressed, using the toilet, shaving, brushing teeth, skincare, and managing continence. It can also include assistance with moving around (transfers, hoists, repositioning), eating and drinking, and taking medication. The level of support varies from a bit of prompting and supervision, to full hands-on care, depending on the person’s needs, mobility, and health conditions.

Good personal care is about far more than just “getting tasks done.” It should be delivered in a way that protects the person’s dignity, privacy, and choices at all times—asking for consent, explaining what’s happening, and respecting cultural, religious, and gender preferences. A person-centred approach means doing things with the person rather than to them, encouraging independence where possible, and recognising that how someone looks and feels can have a huge impact on their confidence, wellbeing, and quality of life.