Personal care is help with the things you do every day to look after yourself: showering, dressing, toileting, eating, getting in and out of bed. Under the NDIS it's funded as daily living support. Good personal care is planned in writing, delivered by the same small team, and reviewed when needs change.
That last part is where most of the difference sits.
What personal care covers
It's broader than most people expect. Depending on the person, it can include:
Showering, bathing and personal hygiene
Dressing and grooming
Toileting and continence support
Transfers and repositioning: bed, chair, shower, car
Mealtime support
Prompting and assistance with medication, as set out in the plan
Getting ready for the day, and settling at night
For someone with high physical support needs, it may also mean two-person transfers, hoist use, or support overnight. Those details change who you send and how they're trained, so they need to be known before the first shift. Not worked out during it.
Why it goes wrong
Personal care is intimate work. It breaks down in predictable places.
Too many different faces. A roster that sends someone new each week means explaining the same routine again, to a stranger, in the bathroom. That's tiring for the person and it's where mistakes happen.
Nothing in writing. "She knows what to do" isn't a plan. When the usual worker is sick, the replacement needs to know how transfers are done, what the continence routine is, and what a hard morning looks like.
Needs change and the support doesn't. After a hospital stay, a fall or a change in health, the routine that worked last month may not be safe now. Someone has to notice and adjust it.
What a good provider puts in place
Before support starts, we visit. We look at the bathroom, the bedroom, the access in and out, and the equipment. Then we write the plan.
The plan covers:
How transfers and mobility are done, step by step
The continence routine
Medication prompts and who is responsible for what
How the person communicates, including on a bad day
What to do when something isn't right, and who to call
We then match a small support team to the person and brief them in person, not by text message. The same faces, as much as rostering allows.
After that, we check in weekly for the first month, then monthly. If needs change in between, the plan changes with them.
Questions to ask any provider
Before you agree to a start date, ask:
Will someone visit the home before the first shift?
Will the routine be written down, and can I see it?
How many different workers will be on the roster in a normal week?
Who covers when the regular worker is away, and how are they briefed?
Who do I call after hours?
How quickly can you confirm you have capacity?
A provider who can't answer these clearly is telling you something.
Where we provide personal care
We support people at home across Deception Bay and the Moreton Bay region, including North Lakes, Mango Hill, Rothwell, Kippa-Ring, Redcliffe, Burpengary, Narangba, Kallangur, Petrie, Strathpine, Morayfield and Caboolture. Support is available 24 hours, including overnight.
Common questions
How quickly can personal care start? We reply to enquiries the same day and confirm capacity within 48 hours. The start date depends on the home visit and the plan being ready, not on a waiting list.
Can personal care include overnight support? Yes. Overnight and 24-hour support are planned the same way as daytime support: in writing, with a matched team.
What if the person's needs change? Tell us. We review the plan at the weekly and monthly check-ins, and sooner if something has changed.
Do I need a referral? No. Participants and families can contact us directly. Support coordinators and hospital teams can use the referral form.
If you're arranging personal care now, talk to us. You can also see our full list of services.
General information only. Decisions about a specific person's care should involve their treating team and support coordinator.