CLEANING THE HOMES OF OLDER ADULTS

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CLEANING THE HOMES OF OLDER ADULTS

• Home Skills Enhancement Project

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Older Adults May Need Help

• Shopping
• Transportation
• Meal preparation
• Cleaning
• Laundry
• Bathing
• Home Chore

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Obstacles in Cleaning

• Older adult may never have had help
• Embarrassed about condition of home
• Sensory loss-vision, hearing
• Unrealistic expectations
• Not understanding scope of work
• Loss of independence
• Family dynamics

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Old Fashioned Households

• Rigid schedule of cleaning
• Monday-washing
• Tuesday-ironing
• Wednesday-sewing
• Thursday-shopping
• Friday-cleaning
• Saturday-baking

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Professional Behavior

• Strong work ethic of older adults
• Dress neat, casual, modest
• No smoking in homes
• Be courteous, call if late
• Know boundaries-report to supervisor if person is
  having money problems

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More Boundary Issues

• Keep personal problems private
• Talk about neutral, social topics
• Focus conversation on older adult and their
  interests
• Confidentiality very important-dont share
  information about other older adults
• Never ask for or take money or gifts

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Setting the Mood and Tone

• Notify supervisor if person is very lonely
• Spend first few minutes visiting
• Give them your undivided attention
• See the person as unique individual
• Use a work plan
• Ask for input, suggestions, feedback
• Ask if others are cleaning home

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Cleaning Homes

• Different attitudes toward cleaning
• Satisfying, makes you feel good
• Sense of order and control
• Benefits of clean, clutter free home
• More healthy
• Requires skills and knowledge
• Prioritize needs when time limited

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Assessing the Environment

• May be rustic, not like our standards
• Honor the persons desire to live the way they do
• Legal competence allows them to do so
• Report signs of neglect or abuse
• Assistive equipment in the home may require extra
  cleaning

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Pets

• Beneficial for older adults
• May be allergic to pets
• Stuffy nose, skin rashes, asthma
• Dust and vacuum more often
• Wash hands after handling
• Keep off kitchen table and counters
• Use special dishes, keep separate

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More on Pets

• Wash their dishes daily
• Keep off bed and out of bedroom
• Store litter boxes away from bathrooms and
  kitchens
• Change litter box when there is an odor
• Brush pets to remove hair
• Keep their beds clean

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Clutter

• Heap or assemblage of things lying in confusion
• Paper clutter-newspapers, mail
• Kitchen clutter-food containers, meds
• Clothes, towels, general stuff on floors,
  surfaces
• Clutter adds to chaos and wastes time

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Why We Accumulate Clutter

• Extras stored for future
• Huge collections of dolls or stuffed animals
• Unclear goals and priorities
• Some think it makes creative environment
• Sentimental attachment
• Lack of storage
• Dementia

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Strategies for a Clutter Free House

• Establish a place to put things
• When you pick something up, put it away
• Put clutter in a box, remove what you use
• Quick pick up daily
• Set limits
• Keep stairs clutter free
• Storage boxes and systems

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Risk Factors for Falls

• Older age, female, history of previous fall
• Chronic disease
• Mental impairment
• Medications
• Vision, hearing
• Bowel or bladder problems
• Muscle weakness, gait, balance

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Things that Contribute to Falls

• Clutter in walkways
• Lack of stair railings or grab bars
• Dim lighting, especially on stairs
• Rugs
• Furniture, electrical cords
• Reaching above your head
• Rearranging furniture

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Why We Clean

• Health, safety and comfort
• Cleanliness is goal, work plan is road map
• Regular schedule saves time
• Good habits will become routine
• Must set priorities-kitchen, bathroom, dusting,
  floors important
• Disinfecting sinks, faucets, toilets

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Developing a Schedule

• Based on amount of time you have
• The rooms to be cleaned
• The number of jobs for each room
• Extra jobs that can be done if time allows
• Avoid distractions if possible
• Tidy up first
• Know what you are doing and why

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Guidelines for Efficient Cleaning

• Higher to lower principle-clean upstairs first,
  higher to lower in each room
• Dry to wet principle-dry cleaning before adding
  water, dry rooms before wet rooms
• Inside to outside of house
• Chores first that require waiting time
• Have all supplies together
• Use cleaning fluids sparingly

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Weekly Chores

• Bed linens
• Vacuum rugs, floors, upholstery
• Wash floors
• Dust, wipe doorknobs, pictures, mirrors
• Bathroom toilet, sink, tub, walls, floor
• Kitchen appliances, counters, floors
• Garbage cans

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Sequence of Cleaning Rooms

• Gather laundry, sort clothes, start wash
• Clean upstairs bedroom, hallway, bath
• Living room,
• Dining room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Porch

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In Each Room

• Take all cleaning supplies in with you
• Stay in each room until finished
• Pick up soiled laundry, put in basket
• Empty trash into trash bag
• Pile misplaced things outside door
• Clean around room in circular fashion
• Top to bottom, floors last, make sure dry

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Dusting

• Dust before vacuuming
• Spray-on waxes or pre-treated cloths
• Slightly damp cloth works well
• Spray lightly
• Rub in circular motion along grain of wood
• Slight downward pressure
• Keep several clean cloths ready

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Vacuuming

• Grind dust and dirt into floor or carpet
• Dirt settles into carpets, makes tiny cuts
• Makes fibers break down, wears carpet
• The more you vacuum the better for the carpet
• Removes dust that circulates in the air

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Bathrooms

• Least favorite room to clean for many
• Soap scum
• Hard water
• Goal is to prevent mold and mildew
• Shower chairs, other equipment
• Lack of ventilation a problem

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Kitchens

• Most germ laden room in the house
• Sink, drain and dishcloths have germs
• Germs expected in bathroom are everywhere in
  kitchen
• Bacteria thrive in moisture and food
• Sweep floor around edges toward you to make a
  tidy pile
• Dont lift broom off floor at end of stroke

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Germ Stopping Habits

• Wash hands frequently
• Use paper towels
• Clean up dirty dishes promptly
• Empty trash every day
• Sponges vs. Dishcloths
• Wiping counters with dirty cloths spread germs

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More Germ Stopping Habits

• Use the right size pots to avoid spills
• Use exhaust fan in kitchen while cooking
• Empty dishwashers promptly
• Ventilate the bathroom to remove moisture
• Close the toilet seat
• Squeegee shower walls after each use
• Mat at each entrance of home

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More Germ Stopping Habits

• Close drawers, cupboards
• Keep closet doors closed
• Put things where they belong
• Have plenty of trash cans around house
• Avoid clutter