12.1: Tasks Related to Personal Care

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Page ID: 67702

Erin O'Hara-Leslie, Amdra C. Wade, Kimberly B. McLain, SUNY Broome

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Bathing
Teeth and mouth care
Dressing/grooming
Toileting
Eating
Ambulation
Transferring
Care of the patient’s environment
Assisting with self-administration of medication

People may require personal care for a number of reasons. Assistance with personal care may be temporary while a person is recovering from an injury or illness or may be permanent, and is required for the remainder of their lives.

Types of Patients Who May Need Personal Care Include:

Patients who are recovering from an illness or accident
Patients with a long term chronic condition (e.g. heart failure, diabetes, HIV/AIDS)
Frail patients or those of advanced age
Patients who are permanently disabled
The dying patient
Infants whose caretakers need assistance caring for them

Providing personal care is a priority for the Home Health Aide/Personal Care Aide. It is the most important task they do. Personal care provision demonstrates to the patient concern about their physical health and general well-being.

This module will explore the importance of providing personal care and provide instruction with performing tasks related to personal care. The importance of infection control and how Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides can work to break the chain of infection in order to keep patients healthy is discussed. Bathing, teeth/mouth care, dressing/grooming, toileting, and eating are topics discussed with explanation on how Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides can provide assistance with these types of personal care. Transferring patients to and from various positions, and assisting with ambulation are detailed. Care of the infant with regard to properly holding, feeding, and bathing is discussed. Finally, for Home Health Aides who will assist with the self-administration of medication, the importance of the five rights of medication self–administration: right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, and right time are reviewed.