Seniors long to remain independent, but one of the most difficult challenges for aging adults is often cleaning the home. Fortunately, there is a way for seniors to stay independent and safe at home. Senior home cleaning services can help with chores that are too tough or unsafe for your loved ones to do on their own. Hiring a cleaning service to assist with cleaning the home can alleviate some stress. For seniors that need a little more assistance with their daily routines and housekeeping, caregivers may be the ideal option. A caregiver in combination with a cleaning service can be the perfect alternative to an assisted living facility.
We're going to discuss caregivers versus cleaning services and how to decide what chores should be designated for each specific type of service professional.
Caregivers and Housekeeping Services
If your loved one needs help with household chores, a caregiver can take these tasks off their plate. Caregivers typically do light housekeeping services to ensure the home is clean, safe, and organized for the senior. Their job is to provide assistance with daily activities. This means they're great for helping out with housekeeping tasks, such as the dishes and the laundry. They'll empty the trash, sweep the floors, vacuum, etc. They can change light bulbs, toss old food in the refrigerator, and wipe down surfaces to keep the home clean. Their main priority is ensuring safety. Caregivers assist and tidy up, which means if there's something the senior can safely do alone, they'll supervise or lend a hand.
However, if your loved one needs deep cleaning services, like window washing and carpet cleaning, a cleaning service may be the right option.
Cleaning Services for Seniors
A cleaning service can come in and do deep cleaning as often as needed. When a caregiver is first starting with your senior, it's best to assign just a few duties to them daily. Once they've established a routine, they can take on more chores. You'll want to keep in mind that heavy cleaning isn't part of the caregiver's duties.
Professional cleaning services have one goal -- cleaning the home. Their focus will be entirely on ensuring the home is clean and meets your loved one's standards. A cleaning service is a perfect choice for a senior that needs the entire home cleaned.
Combining Caregivers and Cleaning Services
Although a caregiver assists with housekeeping, they aren't a cleaning service. Depending on the size of the home and your loved one's abilities, you may want to utilize both a caregiver and a cleaning service.
Deciding Which Chores are Safe for Seniors
Some chores may be too risky for a senior to do alone. Mopping and vacuuming tend to take up a lot of energy but are necessary for keeping the home safe and healthy. Seniors can slip on a wet floor as they mop. Therefore, this is one chore you may want to delegate to a caregiver or cleaning service.
Organizing things on high shelves presents another fall risk, especially if they need to climb a ladder. Nix any chores that require a ladder to minimize the risk of an accident. For some seniors, reaching all the nooks and crannies is just impossible.
If your loved one has a limited range of motion or back issues, you'll want to avoid anything that requires frequent bending and have a service pick up the slack. Also, keep in mind that if your loved one has a respiratory issue, it may not be safe for them to breathe in household cleaners, such as bleach or ammonia. In this case, you could utilize both a cleaning service and a caregiver. Coordinate to have the caregiver take your loved one on a walk while the cleaning service gives the home a deep, thorough cleaning.
Key Takeaway
Everyone is different and your loved one may long for their independence. However, you always want to consider their safety as the main priority when deciding what they can safely do.
If you want to learn more about how a caregiver can help the senior in your life with daily housekeeping and other chores, contact Senior Helpers Portland West today. We offer the help seniors need to age in place. Areas we serve include Portland, Milwaukie, Clackamas, Oregon City, Sherwood, Wilsonville, West Linn, Gladstone, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tualatin, as well as Tigard.