Actually, it can get pretty bad. I had the same case until this weekend. The power steering pump was really screaming and the steering was getting a little tough.
So, I changed the fluid myslef for the first time in my life...and it was a piece of cake. By the way, if you run a search, you will find several methods of changing your fluid...I used a variation.
First, I bought a gallon of cheap ATX fluid to use to flush the system, then I bought 2 quarts of good PS Fluid. I disconnected the return line to the reservoir, which is the thinner tube and connects a little higher on the box than the suction tube. I plugged the hole in the reservoir with a small screw and some cloth. I had a friend hold a long tube over the return line, holding the long tube into a gallon jug. I then started the car and turned it off when my friend signaled the reservoir was empty. I then turned the wheel quickly from side to side, emptying out (nearly) the remaining old fluid. Then we added ATX fluid, and repeated the above steps. We used almost the entire gallon of ATX fluid, eventually. Finally, we added the PS Fluid until it started coming out of the return line. Put it all back together and no more horrible noises...
That might not be as detailed as you need it, but there are several old posts on this subject.
