Smart Cleaning Tips For Senior Living

Household chores can be strenuous no matter what your age but for many older people, the tasks necessary to keep your home clean and safe can be especially difficult. The physical and cognitive changes that occur during aging can impact a senior’s ability to maintain a neat, organized home and when this happens, living independently can become more of a struggle than a blessing.
Many seniors suffer from mobility issues that can make performing the simplest of cleaning tasks risky to their well-being. Arthritis, balance, and vision problems that older adults typically experience increase the likelihood of accidents occurring while performing their everyday household cleaning routines. It is estimated that over 36 million seniors fall each year with 32,000 of these accidents being fatal.
If you, a loved one or a friend are struggling to keep a clean, tidy home, learning new ways to get things done around the house can enable you to live independently with less risk and more confidence. Here are some helpful ideas that can help keep you safe and your home clean:
• Declutter. A messy household is an accident waiting to happen. Many seniors find it difficult to get rid of things around the home that they want to keep, and it can get to a point where the clutter increases the risk of a slip and fall accident. Give the things you do not need, want, or use to family members or friends who want them or donate the items to charitable resale organizations. For things that you want to keep, put them away in storage somewhere in the home where they are not a hazard to your mobility.
• Use assistive devices. Performing everyday chores around the home often means moving round a lot and standing up for extended periods. Doing dishes, cleaning countertops, and dusting tables can strain your legs, knees, and hips so consider using assistive devices like a cane, chair or a rollator when doing these types of standing up tasks.
• Change your approach to bathroom cleaning. Bathrooms can be an especially difficult and dangerous area of the home for seniors to keep clean because of all the stretching and bending it requires on the body. There are many new, innovative products on the market that can help you clean your bathroom easier and more safely. Sponge devices with handles enable you to clean shower walls and tubs without bending over or reaching too far. Some liquid cleaning products are as simple as spray and rinse with no scrubbing involved. Make sure every shower and tub is installed with a long hose, hand-held shower head so that you can rinse the areas you clean with ease.
• Use a lightweight, cordless vacuum device. Vacuum technology has come a long way in recent years. No longer are vacuums heavy, cumbersome devices with cords that can become a tripping hazard. A lightweight, cordless vacuum device can make sweeping your floors and carpets a much simpler and safer task.
• Use a basket roller. Basket rollers are devices that look and perform like small supermarket shopping carts. They are small and light enough to maneuver around the home with ease and big enough to make taking clothes to the washing machine an easier and safer task. A basket roller can also be used to make it easier to being groceries into the home because you no longer need to carry heavy, cumbersome paper or plastic bags.
• Repair anything that is broken. Do you have a faucet dripping or dishwasher leaking? Call a plumber ASAP to repair it so you don’t slip on a wet floor. Is an electrical cord frayed or an outlet not working? Call an electrician immediately to avoid the risk of a spark that can ignite a fire. If you have an area rug, install a non-slip liner under it so you will not slide and trip. Whatever the problem you are having around the home, fix what is broken because it is easier to repair a household item than fix a broken bone. There are plenty of qualified, affordable tradesmen and handymen in your neighborhood, so ask family or friends for references you can contact when needed.
Sometimes the process of aging reaches a point where you just cannot perform tasks you once did yourself around your home. If this happens, don’t fret. You can still live independently and keep an orderly, safe, and hygienic home by contacting a local home care or maid service to help you with the household tasks you need done on a regular basis. There are many reputable agencies and services that you can hire who can provide you with the assistance you need to continue to live in the place you love most -your home.