Personal care tasks like bathing and dressing become harder as we age. They can even be dangerous, with slippery showers and mobility issues posing real hazards.

Fortunately, professional personal care in a retirement community can help older adults take care of themselves. Personal care also can have other benefits that help your older loved one lead a fulfilling and comfortable life.  

What is Personal Care?

While the term “personal care” can mean different things to different people, personal care in the Commonwealth of Kentucky is a level of service for seniors who need extra help moving around and taking care of their bodies.

Personal care is different from other senior care services, such as homemaker services that help seniors take care of household chores. Personal care also is different from companion care, which focuses on the emotional and mental well-being of older adults who live alone or have limited contact with others.

Personal care homes (PCHs) provide licensed nurses, and their residents receive regular monitoring. Personal care communities offer such things as diabetes management, administration of medicines, and monthly wellness assessments. Personal care also includes relationship building, as social isolation can be a real problem for older adults.

Is Personal Care Right for Your Older Loved One?

Your loved one may be showing signs they could benefit from personal care. The signs include:

• Forgetting to take medication, or taking it incorrectly;
• Noticeable weight gain or loss;
• Loss of mobility;
• Falling;
• Seeming unable to perform daily tasks, such as personal grooming or preparing meals;
• Neglected household maintenance;
• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed; and
• Increased isolation.

Personal Care Services

Personal care services help older adults complete their basic day-to-day chores, known as activities of daily living. These include:

• Bathing, oral care, hair care;
• Dressing;
• Eating;
• Using the toilet;
• Walking; and
• Moving from the bed to a chair and back.

Nursing home staff also help senior citizens perform these daily-living activities, but your older loved one does not need to move to a nursing home to receive these services. The caring professionals at Episcopal Church Home (ECH) in Louisville, KY., are dedicated to helping older adults with daily activities and relationship building in a comfortable environment.  

Episcopal Church Home’s Personal Care Services

ECH offers person-centered personal care to ensure your older loved one always gets the care and community connections they desire. Residents may receive minimal assistance with their day-to-day activities from staff who follow state guidelines for personal care. Our residents may also opt for additional services, at small increases in the monthly fee.

Our first level of expanded services includes minimal assistance with bathing and medication administration, which is all many older adults need. The second level of expanded services includes minimal assistance with bathing, dressing, medication administration, and consistent assistance during the night to ensure your loved one’s safety. We maintain a high ratio of personal-care personnel to residents, so your loved one gets needed care in a timely, unrushed manner.

Episcopal Church Home’s personal care services include:

• 24-hour nursing care;
• Three meals daily, including special diets;
• Registered dietician;
• Rehabilitation therapies, such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy;
• Ancillary health services, including a podiatrist, ophthalmologist, and dentist;
• Transportation secured for medical appointments;
• Weekly housekeeping;
• Bed/bath linen cleaning;
• Evening security;
• Beauty and barber services;
• Episcopal Chaplain — chapel services, spiritual counseling, and Bible studies; and
• Shabbos and High Holy Day services.

To determine if this type of retirement community is right for your loved one, or to schedule a tour of ECH, contact us today.