No matter the age and ability, helping people in need is the most important trait a person can possess. Senior citizens tend to have difficulties with cleaning, especially with cluttering things that no longer have any use, hence giving them a helping hand would mean the world to them. Whether your older loved one is struggling to clean some tedious stain or they have acquired loads of useless things through life and it's started to overwhelm them, here are a few nifty things you can do to help seniors keep their home neat and clean.
Tackle the big things first
The most productive way to help your aging relative or friend is to help them clean their home thoroughly. Besides doing the regular small cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, dusting, and doing the dishes, it would be more helpful if you were to tackle the big things. For instance, dealing with stains like vomit requires detailed cleaning, and very often you may need to call experts for such a cleaning process. On the other hand, elderly people leave food unattended in the fridge or pantry so you may need to clean the room from top to bottom. Those types of cleanups are the first to tackle.
Be attentive when cluttering rooms
Elderly people can be utterly sensitive and attached to their possessions hence they tend to clutter things more and more. In order to properly clean the premises and declutter the room, you need to approach them with care and explain how their old things can bring new flair to the new person. As it can be hard to part with extraneous items, don't suggest giving it away to some mundane place, instead suggest donating to a children's hospital, notable charity institution, or similar. In this manner, they would know you pay special attention to their things and emotions.
Clean and dispose of all useless and out-of-date items
When doing general cleaning, you will maximally contribute to maintaining perfect cleanliness once you dispose of all expired food in the pantry, old newspaper, cluttered utilities, and other out-of-date amenities such as empty bottles, etc. Make sure that you check the date on all fridge and pantry items, and ditch all expired goods to ensure they don't get some bacteria or illness. Next, if you encounter piled-up near-empty shampoos and other unused containers in the bathroom or kitchen, as well as dated newspapers, also aim to throw them away. In this manner, you would successfully declutter multiple rooms and enhance hygiene.
Delegate tasks and designate cleaning days
Besides getting attached to certain things, seniors also tend to procrastinate cleaning and neglect all forms of cleaning due to tiredness or sickness. If that's the case, aim to designate set days for completing certain cleaning tasks. You can make a cleaning plan and, for instance, have them do the laundry on Mondays, sweep the garden on Tuesdays, clean the floors, and dust on Fridays. By following a similar cleaning schedule they would get tired as often. If you are dealing with immobile, disabled, or very sick elderly, then you can all join in as a family or relatives and delegate cleaning tasks.
Ask for a helping hand
In the end, if time is of the essence and due to a hectic lifestyle you can't seem to help your grandparents with the cleaning or decluttering, you can always hire a monthly cleaning service. Due to practicality and finances, perhaps calling them once a week is enough. For some people cleaning and maintaining a clutter-free home is a demanding task, hence it would be useful to call for a (professional) helping hand.
Looking after seniors is a responsible and very demanding endeavor and shouldn't be taken lightly. Cleaning and decluttering homes require greater time and effort, so hopefully this article will help you with that.