Personal Care Services

Personal Care in Australia

With personal care services, older Australians receive a helping hand with day-to-day needs to continue living independently and safely in their own homes. On this page, you will find details about personal care services with The CareSide, plus examples of personal care assistance in Australia and information about maximising the value of your Home Care Package.

Registered Affliations

What is Personal Care?

Many seniors in Australia prefer to age in place rather than move into an aged care facility. Over time, though, care needs change and older people require help accomplishing daily tasks such as showering and toileting. Personal care services delivered by non-family members ensure seniors can complete those tasks while also maintaining their dignity and independence—which often benefits the entire family dynamic.

The key difference between personal and companion care is that companion care does not include physical touching. Companion caregivers don’t need any special qualifications, but personal care caregivers typically have a skill set that enables them to assist with:

Toileting and continence
Showering and bathing
Meal preparation and eating
Grooming and personal hygiene
Getting into and out of bed
Dressing and undressing
Medication reminders and organisation
Daily errands such as grocery shopping and appointments
Bill payment and account management
Many other daily tasks that may require a little extra assistance

When seniors lose their mobility and have to rely on their loved ones or professionals for help, it can be an understandably stressful and frustrating situation. Personal care services through The CareSide empower seniors to remain in their homes while receiving assistance with daily living needs.

Our personal care team works intimately with families to develop a care plan around the care recipient’s unique personal needs and goals. Operating with the utmost respect and discretion, The CareSide’s personal care professionals deliver assistance that produces palpable relief—not only for the seniors receiving care but for those who love them, too.

Putting the “Person” Back in Personal Care

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Get the Most from Your Home Care Package

Personal care services with The CareSide are available through approved Home Care Packages or private funding.

Many people ask us: How much does personal care assistance at home cost?

Personal care is commonly used in Home Care Package levels 3 and 4. Visit My Aged Care for up-to-date costs and subsidy amounts. If you do not have a Home Care Package and think you’re eligible, contact us and we will help you apply for one immediately.

The CareSide is an approved government provider of Home Care Packages. Since 2017, our family-run company has been on a mission to deliver the best home care in Australia at the most affordable prices. We know how important it is that you maximise your Home Care Package funding while receiving the best care possible, which is why we…

Personal care prices with The CareSide are 25% lower on average than other home care providers, meaning our clients often receive substantially more care, support and benefits. We happen to believe that your home care budget should go toward your health and wellbeing, and that simple notion has helped us deliver more than one million hours of premium home care in just a few short years.

Speak with our team about your home care needs.

Personal Care with The CareSide

We hire and train the best.

Welcoming someone into your home is a big decision. Unlike other home care providers, we directly employ and train all of our caregivers. We do not outsource labour hire or subcontract professionals through other agencies, so you will never encounter strangers on your doorstep.

Our team of experts brings decades of combined experience to the table with varied skill sets and specialisations, which means we can match you with personal care professionals whose education and training fit your family’s unique needs.

What I enjoy most about working with clients is the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives every day. Supporting them on their journey is incredibly fulfilling.

Jasmine JiawenCaregiver in Adelaide

What to Expect

What Does Personal Care Entail?

Grooming & Hygiene

Grooming and hygiene are essential parts of any person’s routine: they help us feel our best and can improve self-confidence.

Our care team can assist with bathing, showering, shampooing, dressing, shaving, hair styling, teeth and denture cleaning, changing continence products and fitting personal aids. We ensure that all safety equipment—such as non-slip mats, handrails and shower seats—are properly and securely installed.

Toileting and Continence Care

Toileting and continence care can be sensitive topics for many seniors, but health and hygiene risks can arise without adequate assistance. Rashes, skin infections, unpleasant odours, internal infections and other irritations can occur without proper intervention. Our care workers help clients complete these daily tasks with kindness and empathy.

Mobility

More than 37 million falls occur around the globe every year that are severe enough to require medical attention, and older people above the age of 60 have an increased risk. Falls often result in loss of mobility, chronic pain and decreased confidence, not to mention, many falls lead to a hospital trip.

Our team can reinforce fall prevention strategies, help personal care recipients maintain strength and mobility with practical exercises, and arrange physiotherapy if necessary. When transporting clients, The CareSide utilises a senior-friendly vehicle that accommodates mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walkers.

Nutrition

A nutritious diet is essential to maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Older people often need to follow doctor-prescribed meal plans due to existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.

The CareSide’s personal care team helps care recipients follow prescribed meal plans, and upon request, we can organise unique plans with assistance from our dieticians. Our care workers can also accompany care recipients during mealtime: they assist if necessary, note adverse dietary side effects (should those occur), and perhaps most importantly, provide friendly company and good conversation throughout meals.

Transferring and Positioning

Frequent movement helps older people preserve mobility. This is why our team encourages care recipients to move whenever possible. This could mean:

Getting in and out of bed
Entering and exiting the bath or shower
Sitting up and down in chairs
Repositioning in wheelchairs

Proper transferring and positioning can reduce the risk of decubitus ulcers (i.e. bedsores), prevent muscle atrophy and help with breathing and digestion.

Tips on Personal Care for Elderly Loved Ones

While TheCareSide provides a full range of personal care and support services, it’s also important for family members and loved ones to understand proper home care for seniors—even if it’s only part of a short-term arrangement.

Daily care needs such as toileting, grooming, shaving, turning and transferring require special skills to ensure safety and wellbeing. Our Guide to Providing Personal Care highlights many of these necessary activities and how to perform them effectively. It also details what carers should watch for—and what steps they should take—should serious issues arise, such as infection, bowel obstruction, loss of skin integrity and loss of appetite.

If you’d like more information about caring for an elderly loved one at home, please contact us today.

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