Personal Care or Companion Care?

The key difference is the task, not the number of hours. Companion care focuses on company and practical support. Personal care includes hands-on help with routines such as bathing, dressing and toileting. Some families need a combination.

Look at an ordinary morning

Can your parent get out of bed, use the bathroom and get dressed without another person’s help? Do they need breakfast prepared, or help physically eating? Describe what they can do independently and where someone needs to step in.

Avoid saying only “a little help.” A specific example gives the coordinator a better starting point for assessing the right support.

Make dignity part of the plan

Ask about preferred timing, privacy and how the person likes to be helped. A familiar sequence and a respectful caregiver matter, particularly when someone is uncomfortable accepting personal assistance.

Share mobility concerns and any instructions from the medical team. An assessment is needed to establish appropriate tasks; a phone description cannot determine every transfer or assistance requirement.

Confirm the provider’s scope

• Is the agency authorized to provide the hands-on tasks we need?
• Will those tasks appear in the written care plan?
• What happens if needs increase?
• How can we report that the caregiver match is not working?

Care Connect at Home offers both companion and personal care. Tell us which parts of the day need attention so the plan reflects the actual work.