Companionship Care vs Personal Care: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to choosing your loved one’s care, you’ll want to be sure that you’re making the right decision. Companionship care and personal care are both fantastic options, but each has its differences. Discover how these care options differ, so that you can make an informed choice about the care your family member needs and deserves.
What is companionship care?
Companionship care is perfect for those who would love a friendly face to pop by and assist with day-to-day tasks or just to provide some company.
Carers quickly become a trusted friend to the families they work with, providing comfort and support. Companionship care often includes:
- Support arranging and getting to appointments
- Getting involved with hobbies and personal interests
- Planning trips out and visits to the cinema or theatre
- Support entertaining family and friends
- General housekeeping support: cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, etc.
While companionship carers don’t provide hands-on medical care, they offer emotional support, helping your loved one to maintain a sense of independence and dignity. Companionship care is essential for improving quality of life, reducing feelings of isolation, and promoting mental and emotional health. This service is often ideal for seniors who require minimal assistance but benefit from social interaction.
What is personal care?
Personal care gives your loved one the support and assistance they need with daily activities that promote hygiene, health, and well-being. This support can include:
- Assistance with bathing and continence care
- Supporting with dressing and grooming
- Meal preparation and light housekeeping
- Support scheduling appointments or outings
- Transportation and accompaniment to appointments
- Support with medication management
Personal care also plays an important role in helping your loved one to stay connected with family and friends, supporting their mental health and wellbeing as well as their physical safety.
What are the differences between companionship care and personal care?
Whilst companionship care and personal care both require the same level of dedication, their main differences lie in the level of medical expertise and support required in the care. Unlike companionship care, personal care requires more hands-on support. Though companionship care can provide support for small daily tasks, it’s important to remember that the primary focus of companionship care is to give your loved one company and support throughout the day. In contrast, personal care encompasses more physical support in order to help those receiving care to maintain their dignity, independence, and overall quality of life. Both types of care can prove invaluable, depending on your individual needs.
Which care is right for you?
Choosing which care is right for you and your family largely depends on the level of support, medical expertise and care that you require on a daily basis. Similar to hourly care, companionship care involves carers visiting for a few hours a week, with a schedule that can be adjusted at any time. In comparison, personal care provides more support across practical tasks, making it better suited to those who require support for bathing, medication management and cooking. If you’re unsure about which type of care is best suited to your family, get in touch with the team at Ashridge. With fully customisable care, our friendly team can help you to understand which options are available to you.
Arranging personal or companionship care
Whatever type of care your family needs, arranging care with Ashridge is simple and stress-free. Throughout the process, our friendly team ensures that the needs and desires of your family remain the priority. You can make a start by filling in the form at the bottom of the page or giving us a call on 01494 917 344.
We’ll be happy to chat with you about your loved one’s needs and get to know what matters most to your family moving forward. From there, we’ll assign you to a dedicated care manager who will create an individualised care plan. There’s no obligation to move forward with the plan we propose, and we won’t set it in motion until you’re happy. With a plan in place, we’ll match your loved one to a carer that aligns with your family member’s personality and requirements.
Companionship and personal care with Ashridge Home Care
Ashridge Home Care can provide the dedicated care your loved one needs to live a healthy, happy life. Rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), our carers are hand-selected and trained by us, ensuring that your family member can receive the same high quality care, regardless of what style of care you choose. With a holistic approach to care, our teams focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of those in our care, with a personalised care plan that allows your loved one to continue to live independently.
Keen to find out more about how a carer from Ashridge Home Care can support your family? Get in touch with our team today to discuss your needs.