5 Tips for Spring Cleaning at Your Elderly Loved One’s Home

Family Caregivers in White Plains NY

As a family caregiver you probably already help your loved one quite a bit with general housekeeping. Spring cleaning is a special type of cleaning, though, because it lets you get into deeper activities, like decluttering and organizing, that can make a big difference for your loved one.

Talk to Your Loved One About Her Spring Cleaning Goals

You probably already know everything that you want to accomplish during the spring cleaning activities at your loved one’s home, but she probably has some goals, too. You might even be surprised at how well or how poorly her goals match up with your own. She may feel that her home has gotten too cluttered, too, but hasn’t felt up to tackling it on her own. Until you work together on a plan, you won’t know what she has in mind.

Get Important Documents Under Control

One of the first things that you need to manage when it comes to spring cleaning at your loved one’s home is all of the important documents that she’s got. Set up a portable file system so that she can easily access and file away new paperwork as it arrives. Having all of these documents available at her fingertips will make appointments less stressful for both of you.

Clear Out as Much Clutter as Possible

If your loved one has a good bit of clutter hanging around the house, now is a good time to evaluate how much of that should stay and how much can go. It’s possible that some of these items might find new homes in other family members homes, while other things can be donated or sold at a yard sale. Regardless, clearing out some of the stuff that your loved one no longer needs can help you get her home sparkling clean and help you and her to keep it clean more easily.

Check Out the Overall Safety of Your Loved One’s Home

While you’re decluttering, organizing, and cleaning, this is the perfect time to notice and to respond to any safety concerns that you find at the house. Maybe your loved one’s smoke detectors need updating or her fire extinguishers are out of date. You may also need to rearrange furniture, install hand rails, or get rid of rugs that are causing a tripping hazard.

Get Help When You Need It

Don’t try to tackle all of this work on your own. Find help from other loved ones and family members. You may also want to hire a company that specializes in organizing to help you really get your loved one’s home into a good usable condition that accounts for her health concerns. No matter what type of help you need, make sure that you reach out for it.

Spring cleaning is a great time to refresh and renew your loved one’s home for her.

Source
http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/cleaning-tips/advice/g601/spring-cleaning-tips/
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/spring-cleaning-shortcuts