We’ve made it through another winter and spring is almost here. We know the importance of spring cleaning for seniors, which is why we’ve put together this list of steps for spring cleaning from start to finish for senior independent living apartments.
If you’re a caregiver, then you should know the benefits of spring cleaning for seniors. It will make your job of caring for your loved one so much easier. You’ll also be able to evaluate and improve their living conditions.
Benefits of Spring Cleaning for Seniors
While spring cleaning may seem like a big job, if you do it every year, it won’t be too difficult. In any case, the benefits are hard to ignore. Here are some of them.
You can:
- Determine whether or not your loved one will need more assistance.
- See their living standards for yourself.
- Make their life easier by reorganizing the items in their house.
- Make their home safer by clearing away safety hazards.
Seniors Need Assistance
Spring cleaning can be too much for a senior to handle. There’s no need for them to do everything on their own as long as family is there to help. There are two main benefits of the family helping out with spring cleaning:
- It will make spring cleaning more efficient.
- Everyone will have the chance to bond and become closer as a family.
Some of the things that you might do together include looking through old photo books, as well as finding old mementos like toys and such to pass down to children and grandchildren.
Furthermore, having an extra helping hand available can make tasks impossible for seniors possible. Tasks such as dusting in hard to reach places or moving heavy furniture.
Create a Spring Cleaning Checklist
Now that you’ve brought your loved ones over to help, you can sit down with them and come up with your checklist of tasks to complete for senior independent living apartments near you.
The obvious tasks that come to mind are cleaning windows, dusting, mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, and so on. These will, of course, be on your list, but there are some tasks that are often overlooked that should be done first. These include the following:
Declutter
This will not only make the home safer but easier to clean as well, which is why it should be the first step in any spring cleaning checklist. Get rid of any unused items (such as clothes, appliances, and old furniture).
Reorganize
Now that you’ve decluttered the home, you’ve laid down the groundwork for reorganizing and making the place look nice.
One key tip during your efforts to reorganize is to keep all of your financial, legal, and health files all in one place. That way, you’ll be able to access them all quickly during an emergency such as a health situation, house fire, earthquake, etc.
Throw Out Expired or Unused Medications
Expired medications can be dangerous (expired food as well). Unused medications should also be thrown out since they are likely no longer needed and could possibly be harmful. Places to check include the fridge, cupboards, their medicine cabinet, and the pantry.
Make the Home Safer
Spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning. For seniors, in particular, it’s also about home safety. All home safety items should be checked to see if they are still functional and stable. Take a look at the fire detectors (see if they need new batteries). Push on those grab bars to test their stability.
If you don’t see any grab bars, fix that! Get some installed, and you’ll have better peace of mind (falls are one of the most common causes of fatal and non-fatal injuries in the US). Good places for grab bars are in the bathroom, near the bathtub, toilet, and showering area.
Another falling hazard is loose rugs. Remove or adjust these to prevent tripping. When going down the hallways, make sure that all the lights are working properly. Replace bulbs as necessary (including in rooms).
Window Cleaning
People hate cleaning windows, but cleaning them can make a huge difference! Spring is the ideal time to do it as well because you can clear off all that gunk that accumulated on the windows during the winter.
Since people often don’t like cleaning windows, don’t force your relatives to do it. You can easily do it yourself with a squeegee without straining your wrists. Dirt will be no match for you!
Vacuuming Floors
While vacuuming isn’t exclusive to spring cleaning, now is the chance for you to do a “deep cleaning.”
Dirt, salt, and debris tend to accumulate during the winter because people and animals bring them indoors. Check for dirt and vacuum everywhere, including under furniture.
This is also when family or friends can be very helpful. They can move heavy furniture for you.
A cordless vacuum is safer to have around as well because a cord presents another tripping hazard.
Dusting
People tend to be more conscious of the air quality outdoors than indoors. However, indoor air quality can have a huge effect on your quality of life, especially when it comes to senior independent living apartments.
Make it a priority during your spring cleaning to dust off everything, including any electronics, light fixtures, table surfaces, fans, shelves, and baseboards.
To make the job much easier, use a duster with an extended handle; that way, you won’t have to use a stool and constantly move it around to dust the harder to reach places.
Dust also tends to accumulate on linens, and these obviously need to be washed. Wash your drapes, bed sheets, blankets, and even the rugs and towels, to improve the air quality of your home.
The last thing to do to improve air quality is to replace your air filter. Newer filters are more efficient at trapping dust particles, and they can improve the energy efficiency of your home as well!
Are you searching for senior independent living apartments near you? Contact Heritage Woods today!