While we hope you’ve been making the most of the beautiful spring weather, one necessary evil of springtime you may be dealing with is spring cleaning. Especially for seniors, spring cleaning is very important. Getting rid of unnecessary clutter helps to make for a cleaner environment to live in, which is important for the elderly as cluttered spaces can become a hazard in older age.
We at Best Home Care wanted to provide some tips on how home caregivers or personal care assistants can help their senior clients to get the most done when it comes to spring cleaning.
- Start with a plan: List everything you want to get done and put tasks in order!
- Make sure you have help: Having only one caregiver or PCA may not be enough, especially when you have some big tasks to take care of. Enlist family members or friends to come over and lend a hand.
- Get permission first: Make sure seniors have a say in the process, especially when it comes to deciding what stays, what goes, and how things are organized. It can be very overwhelming having someone go through your belongings, so make sure their opinions are valued!
- Include seniors in the process: Aside from just getting their approval on what needs to be done, make sure they have tasks to do that can help with the process. They may not be able to help with heavy lifting, but smaller jobs like organizing papers, photos, or jewelry keeps them involved without risking their safety.
- Be safe: Again, this is where having extra hands is important. Don’t try to lift or move large objects on your own. Make sure the cleaning products are safe and are kept away from food. If you will be using possibly toxic chemicals in your spring cleaning, be sure to use masks, gloves, and possibly safety glasses to keep them out of your eyes.
Best Home Care helps support home caregivers in providing quality homecare for the elderly, children, and persons with disabilities. For any questions, be sure to visit our website and see our list of services.
