Elderly Care in Cary NC
Spring cleaning can mean more than just washing the drapes once a year and cleaning under the sofa. This time of year is a great opportunity to make sure that your elderly loved one’s home is 
safe and hygienic for her, which are two of the biggest concerns that a family caregiver often has.
Make a List
Before you start digging through cleaning supplies and tearing up rags for dusting, you need a solid plan. Your loved one’s home may need some safety maintenance done or simply maintenance, period. Write down everything that needs doing in one list so you have it all in one place. Then you can work on pulling together supplies, tools, and extra personnel if you need them. Now is also the time to round up other family members who can help out. Even if someone can only help for an hour or two, that’s still a helping hand.
Declutter First
If your loved one is dealing with a good bit of clutter, that’s where you need to start. A true hoarding situation may take more than everyone pitching in. Hoarding is truly a mental illness and purging your loved one’s home without doing it properly can do some significant damage. If you’re only dealing with clutter, though, you can usually do what needs doing in an afternoon. Decluttering helps to reduce tripping hazards and gives your loved one more space in which to actually live.
Reorganize as You Go
You don’t want to have to go back into a room that you finished already, so reorganize as you declutter and clean. Your loved one may have been able to keep her dishes in an upper cabinet for years, but now maybe she has trouble reaching them. It’s time to find another spot in the kitchen. Look for ways to reorganize your loved one’s space so that it works for her instead of against her.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Once everything is decluttered and organized, you should have quite a bit of space to do your actual spring cleaning. Use the least toxic combinations of cleaning products that you can, especially if your loved one has allergies or asthma. Once the heavy stuff is done, you and your loved one can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Don’t forget to keep your elderly loved one involved in the process. Changes are easier to handle that way and she’ll appreciate the extra effort.
