test

Skip to content

Washing and doing daily tasks at home

Need help with washing, dressing or using the bathroom at home?

You can get support through homecare services, local organisations, bathroom adaptations, equipment and short-term help after illness. This page explains how to find the right help for your needs and stay independent at home.

What's on this page:

Help with washing

If washing or doing daily tasks is getting difficult, support is available. It can help you stay independent at home.

Homecare services (also called personal care or domiciliary care) can help with:

  • washing and dressing
  • preparing meals and drinks
  • using the toilet
  • getting in and out of bed

Homecare is flexible. You can get help for a few hours a week or more often, depending on your needs.

It can be short-term (after illness or injury) or long-term. You might need a live-in carer, especially if you need specialist support like stroke or dementia care.

Homecare costs vary, usually between £15 and £30 an hour. You may get help with costs depending on your income and savings.

Find local help with washing and daily tasks

Connect to Support Surrey is our online directory of local services. You can use it to find help near you.

You can:

  • search by keyword, like home care, bathing or cleaning
  • enter your postcode to find nearby services
  • use filters to narrow your search - on a desktop, these are on the left. On a mobile, they appear at the top

How Connect to Support Surrey works

Making your bathroom safer and easier to use

If your bathroom is hard to use, there are tools and changes that can help. These can make washing and moving around easier and safer.

Some changes are simple, like:

  • grab rails
  • bath seats

Others may be bigger, like:

  • level-access showers
  • wider doorways

Find out what support is available

Visit Surrey's Adult Social Care pages to learn about:

Find equipment to help you at home

You can also buy simple equipment to help you stay safe and independent at home.

Use the home equipment finder to find helpful products based on your needs.

You can:

  • search by room - like bathroom or bedroom
  • choose your needs - like falls and mobility
  • browse by product type

See useful bathroom equipment listed on the home equipment finder

Short term help after an illness

If you've been in hospital or had a fall or illness, you may need short-term care to help you recover. This is called reablement.

Reablement can last from a few days up to six weeks. It helps you:

  • relearn daily skills
  • regain confidence
  • stay independent at home

Support can include help with:

  • getting in and out of bed
  • washing and bathing
  • using the toilet

When reablement ends, your care team will talk with you and your family about what happens next. If you still need support, they'll help plan your future care.

How to access reablement in Surrey

You can:

Back to top

Next