Help keep an older person’s home clean

While house cleaning gets on top of all of us from time to time, if you’re consistently seeing things like gone off food in the fridge, untidy counters or a build-up of laundry in an older adult’s home that could be a sign that they need a bit of assistance. Don’t write off clutter or untidiness as laziness, especially if the behaviour is uncharacteristic, physical health may be holding them back from carrying out housekeeping tasks.

Speaking to somebody about an untidy house can be a sensitive subject, if you don’t do anything to help tidy up your loved one’s home, safety hazards can develop.

• Write it down: Make a note of everything that needs to be done and how you’ll get through it.
• Put it in the calendar: If you set time aside and schedule when you can help, it’s more likely to get done.
• Get assistance: If family can’t help, our caregivers can help with light housekeeping tasks.
• Involve your loved one: Let your loved one get involved. You could turn it into a game or friendly competition, maybe whoever finishes first makes the cup of tea. Let them sift through items so you don’t throw out anything nostalgic, it’s also important your loved one feels engaged and useful. 
• De-clutter: Remove any clutter that has built up in the house over time, then clean. It’s important to consider the reasons that your older loved one may have kept hold of something like an old newspaper from a particular date.