Elderly adults often deal with physical limitations that arise from illness, injury, disease or simply the effects of old age on the body. As a result, seniors may not have the stamina, flexibility or strength to take care of the housework they must do to keep their home clean and safe. If your aging parent is finding it more difficult to keep up with the housework, you might want to consider hiring an elder care provider to lend a hand.
You may think of elder care providers as talented professionals that work with seniors on many self-care tasks like bathing, dressing and grooming. However, many elder care providers also include light housekeeping as part of the services they offer. Studies show that people have a more positive attitude when they live in a clean space, and seniors can definitely benefit from having someone create one for them.
Most elder care providers will clearly spell out what light housekeeping tasks they will do for their clients. You and your aging relative should go over a list of expectations and set up a schedule as to when the elder care provider will come to the house. Of course, there will likely be some customization of the housekeeping duties to fit with each home’s unique requirements.
You should remember that light housekeeping consists mostly of creating a clean and orderly living space for the elderly person to relax. Their housekeeping duties will usually include dusting, vacuuming, emptying the trash, sweeping, doing dishes, watering plants, picking up clutter and anything else needed to tidy up. It also includes wiping down bathrooms with disinfectant and lightly mopping kitchen and bathroom floors.
If there are other unique tasks that the elderly person wants to have done, they can negotiate with the elder care provider. Some elder care providers will also include laundry as part of their service, if there are washers and dryers in the home. This is especially useful for seniors who have appliances in the basement where it is hard for them to access.
It’s important for everyone to remember that light housekeeping by an elder care provider is not a maid service and they should not spend most of their time on such tasks. Their main purpose is to interact directly with the aging adult and help them with self-care tasks and to provide companionship. However, light housekeeping is a key part of overall services that elder care providers offer. Having a tidy home and clean living conditions makes your aging relative’s life more pleasant and much safer.
If you haven’t already considered hiring an elder care provider to look after your elderly loved one and their home, it’s never too late to begin the process.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care Services in Jacksonville FL, please contact the caring staff at Home-Call Healthcare. Call today 904-861-0424.