Senior Care in Independence, LA, When Housekeeping Is the First Thing to Slip

Yes. Part of senior home care in Independence can include light housekeeping when these tasks assist an older adult in completing their daily routine. A Care Pro could help by doing dishes, laundry, changing the bed linens, or keeping commonly used areas of the house clean. The goal is not to replace the need for the older adult to live in their own home. It is to help make their everyday routine easier while remaining involved.

Housekeeping is often the first routine to become difficult as it is easy to ignore. Everyone knows that laundry and dishes can wait until tomorrow. This does not mean that someone necessarily needs full time care. It could mean that there is a small window of time that is difficult to complete and would greatly benefit from assistance.

What Can Light Housekeeping Include in Senior Care in Independence?

Light housekeeping is the inclusion of tasks that help an older adult remain in their own home while retaining comfort and daily routine.

For one of our Care Plans, light housekeeping tasks are the following:

• Washing dishes after a meal
• Doing or Folding laundry
• Changing the bed linens
• Wiping off surfaces that are commonly used
• Straightening areas of the bedroom or the living room
• Taking the household trash out
• Keeping used items in the living areas to a minimum

These tasks can easily be administered while companion care duties are being completed. For example, a Care Pro can assist in the preparation of a meal and clean up the used dishes and utensils. Laundry can be conveniently accomplished while another task is completed by the older adult.

I believe that why you do something matters more than what you do. A task that helps someone complete a routine at home belongs in a home care discussion.

That doesn’t mean older adults have to stop doing something. They may still want to do certain tasks like folding their own clothing, arranging how they want their things, or even helping with preparation for the day’s activities. Support needs to be flexible for these needs.

What do you think lies outside a care pro’s domain?

A care pro is not a substitute for a house cleaning service.

It is important to make this distinction because someone that needs help with house cleaning may actually need two very contrasting services. Home care focuses on the person and the routine. A cleaning service is concerned more with the physical state of the property.

However, if someone needs deep cleaning of all the rooms, neglected areas, cleaning of the windows, or a large one-time clean up, then a cleaning service should be the first option considered.

Home Instead offers non medical home care services. Care pro services should not be a substitute for any clinical services that require skilled nursing care or home health services. The family should reach out to the proper clinical service to discuss the medical care that is needed.

Being clear about that boundary helps you choose the right kind of help, instead of paying for a service that doesn't cater to the problem.

How do you get an older adult to stay involved in the decision-making process?

First things first, what do they need help with?

A house does not have to look presentable to others. Your parent might be fine with a stack of newspapers on one table, or a kitchen thrown together in a way that you might not consider aesthetic. The concern should be if the house serves them and where other activities of daily living might be becoming a burden to complete or may be fatiguing or frustrating to maintain.

In place of "you can't keep the house clean" anymore, it's better to ask "what activities of daily living have been getting to you the most?"

It changes the focus of the conversation.

If laundry is the issue, then the focus should be there. If they still like to prepare meals, but hate the after clean up, focus the support there. If they want to continue to make their bed, then they should be able to make that choice. It should be a given that they keep up the bed making.

A Care Plan must address priorities. Before settling on a plan, I would focus on these questions.

• What household activities does the older adult want to keep doing?
• Which tasks are most often being left unfinished or skipped?
• Does the older adult need assistance with the older adult or the activities of daily living?
• Would annual professional cleaning services be of continued need?
• Is it becoming difficult to manage other activities of daily living?

In shaping our care approach we must be sensitive to preferences of the older adult. You can read about our local Home Instead team to get a sense of our approach before deciding on the type of support you believe may be needed.

What other areas of life change with an older adult needing assistance with housekeeping?

A change in the requirement of housekeeping may not imply that there is something medically wrong. However, it does require looking at the older adult’s routines.

It is possible that a housekeeping need is the only thing that has changed, and the older adult’s vacuum has become difficult to use.

However, changes in other household chores may be indicative of a worsening care need; the refrigerator may be empty, laundry may not be being done, and dishes may be left unwashed due to the press of other activities of daily living.

Lack of cooking may be an even greater sign of need.

The care need may be different than the lack of cooking and disruption of other household chores.

There’s no need to jump from one undone chore to a therapy appointment. You are looking for a starting point to see what help is needed.

Home Instead offers many different options for home care, so talking about housekeeping can be used to suggest other aids to the older adult.

Sometimes all that is required is some light housekeeping. Other times, it can be the first of several signs that a Care Plan becomes necessary for several other routines in the day.

Housekeeping Should Support Independence, Not Replace It

It can certainly be a frustrating and even disruptive sight when adult children come to a help a parents house and begin ‘fixing’ things.

That can cause a quick rift.

If your parent has lived independently in the same home for years, there can be a lot of sentimental value to the kitchen and laundry routines. Having someone come for house care doesn't mean that someone else takes on your parents routines.

The key thing to note is to separate the things that need to be done from things that are simply done differently.

Maybe for your parent, kitchen cabinets are laundry closets, don't be surprised if they want laundry sorted, folded, and in place before they put the laundry away.

The goal for Senior Care in Independence, LA, and beyond is to find solutions to the problems that arise.

Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Care and Housekeeping in Independence

Can a Care Pro assist with housekeeping?

Housekeeping may be added to a Care Plan in order to assist the senior with their daily routine. The specific tasks should be discussed in order to help the senior and the Care Pro understand the support required.

What is considered to be light housekeeping?

Light housekeeping may include daily tasks such as washing dishes, doing laundry, changing bed linens, taking the trash out, and keeping common areas orderly. This may also include tidying tasks like sweeping or vacuuming.

Can Home Instead provide a substitute for house cleaning?

No. While Home Instead assisting with housework may be arranged, Home Instead focuses on the support of the senior with the goal of assisting the senior to remain independent and living at home. You may need to arrange for the services of a professional cleaning company instead.

What if my parent does not want someone cleaning their home?

It may be helpful to find out what tasks he or she is willing to accept assistance with, even if it is as simple as washing the dishes or doing the laundry. They may decide to continue other chores.

Does a messier home mean my parent needs more care?

Absolutely not. For the sake of argument, let's even say that your parent starts to let things go. This does not mean same-day, round-the-clock support. What matters is the rest of the routine. If things like preparing meals and maintaining their own personal tasks, shopping, and other simple errands start to deteriorate as well, it may be time to evaluate if more care may be needed.

Is Home Instead home medical care?

Home Instead focuses on non-medical care. A Care Pro is not going to replace a nurse, home health care clinician, or medical professional. If your loved one needs medication, skilled nursing, or clinical services, those may need to be addressed by a medical professional.

Let's assume that the hardest part of the week to manage at home is housekeeping, in Independence. It does not have to mean that housekeeping is now a full-on, around the clock service. Talk to our Home Instead teams located in Hammond to see if a Care Plan that covers light household duties and companionship makes sense for your loved one and if we can fill in gaps that assist your loved one with what they want to continue doing.

About the Author

Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping seniors and their families find the right support to remain safe and comfortable at home. He is the owner of Home Instead locations serving Hammond and Baton Rouge in Louisiana, along with Gainesville, Lawrenceville, and Dunwoody in Georgia.