1. For regulatory purposes, the term “personal care” is defined in legislation.
England
2. In England “personal care” is:
- for someone who is unable to provide it for themself by reason of:
- old age,
- illness, or
- disability, and
- which is provided in a place where that person is living at the time the care is provided.1The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 No 2936 Sch 1 para 1
3. “Personal care” means:2The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 No. 2936, reg 2(1) def: of “personal care”
- physical assistance given to someone in connection with:
- eating or drinking (including the maintenance of established parenteral nutrition),
- toileting (including in relation to the process of menstruation),
- washing or bathing,
- dressing,
- oral care, or
- the care of skin, hair and nails (but not nail care provided by a registered chiropodist or podiatrist), or
- the prompting, together with supervision, of someone, in relation to the performance of any of the activities listed in paragraph (a), where that person is unable to make a decision for themselves in relation to performing such activity without such prompting and supervision.
Scotland
4. In Scotland “personal care” means care which relates to:3Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 Sch 12 Para 20
- the day-to-day physical tasks and needs of the person cared for (for example eating and washing); and
- mental processes related to those tasks and needs (for example remembering to eat and wash).
Wales
5. In Wales, the equivalent definition is to the term “care” which relates to:
- the day-to-day physical tasks and needs of the person cared for (for example, eating and washing), and
- the mental processes related to those tasks and needs (for example, the mental process of remembering to eat and wash).4Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, s.3(1)(a)
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