Your personal care
Can you get dressed and undressed without help? Can you keep yourself clean and have a wash without help? Can you go to the toilet without help?
Personal care is about maintaining your personal hygiene and toileting needs, along with dressing and keeping up your personal appearance.
Top tips
Try to avoid slips, trips and falls
Keep your bathroom including your toilet, bath or shower free from clutter. Use anti-slip sticker strips for your bath or shower.
Ensure your house has good lighting, so you can see clearly. Wear sturdy footwear that has good fastenings, a stable sole and fit your feet well.
Take a look at our ‘daily living equipment’ pages to help you find the items you may need and where you can buy them.
Try to establish a routine for bathing and dressing
A routine can help you get into the swing of doing specific activities such as showering and brushing your hair at certain times.
If you need the help of a carer, talk them through how you would like your hair to be styled or the type of clothes you like to wear, this will help you feel more independent.
Setting an alarm on your mobile phone can help to remind to you do things as well as taking medication. Our equipment page has lots of examples that you can use.
Make dressing, bathing and toileting as easy as possible
Consider using some equipment like handrails, grab rails, dressing sticks, sock aids and long-handled items like a long-handled comb or a long-handled shoe horn.
A raised toilet seat can help with getting on or off the toilet.
Wearing clothes which are easy to fasten and remove can help with dressing, and button hooks or zip pulls can help with fastening items.
Take a look at our ‘daily living equipment’ pages to help you find the items you may need and where you can buy them.
Make sure your carer has the support they need
If the person who helps look after you is a relative, friend or neighbour, our carers page has lots of top tips and information about support that they can also access.
Frequently asked questions Back to top
- Answer:
- Even if you have problems bathing, washing or dressing, you may be able to stay at home. As well as trying some equipment or technology, there may also be lots of tasks that family and friends can start to help you with.
Paid-for carers or personal assistants can also help you with your personal care needs. You can use our directory website Staffordshire Connects to search for companies in your area.
- Answer:
- You can check if you are likely to have to pay towards any care services you may need by using our financial calculator.
If you are arranging your own personal care you may want to get independent financial advice before you sign any contracts or make any decisions. You should also see if you are eligible to claim any welfare benefits.
Use this free benefits calculator to check to see if you are entitled.
Age UK have produced a guide to protecting yourself when employing carers.
- Answer:
- There is wide range of equipment that you can use to help keep you mobile and steady on your feet including:
- sticks
- frames
- grab rails
- wheeled walkers
Stairlifts are a simple, safe way to get up and down the stairs. They can be installed on straight or curved staircases and can be fitted in almost any home.
Check our falls page for top tips to help stop falls from happening around the home.
You may find these web sites helpful:
Staffordshire Connects
If you are looking for a home help service, Staffordshire Connects, our directory website, can help you to find:
You can use the filters to narrow down your search or enter your postcode to find your local services.
Talk your GP
If you are struggling with personal care, talk to your GP or a health care professional.
Staffordshire Cares
If you need support with washing, dressing, going to the toilet and wish to discuss this in more detail, contact our Staffordshire Cares Team for further advice or complete the online self-assessment.