Most adults take pride in keeping a clean, tidy home for their families to enjoy or to be always ready for guests. We often inherit good housekeeping habits from our parents, who always ensured our childhood homes were immaculate, orderly, and hygienic.
However, as our parents age, they sometimes might let housekeeping slide a little due to a lack of energy, illness, or physical limitations. If your loved ones are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you may also see a noticeable change in how they manage daily household tasks.
How does dementia affect housekeeping?
Dementia is a progressive cognitive condition that causes changes in the brain, which can limit the ability to plan, organize, and complete tasks. The condition can also trigger memory loss, which can result in the person simply forgetting to do things.
These tasks they might neglect to do can run the gamut of daily personal care, such as bathing, brushing hair and teeth, getting dressed, and even eating. Housekeeping chores are also affected by dementia, potentially causing your loved one not to tidy up, vacuum, wash dishes, or take out the garbage, creating a home that’s dirty, unsanitary, and unhealthy to live in.
However, memory loss is often just one factor in why your loved one might not be keeping up with housekeeping. They may be experiencing changes in their vision and depth perception, have trouble moving, be easily distracted, or have little to no motivation to keep their home clean and tidy.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help your loved one with dementia live in a clean home and maintain their dignity, independence, and quality of life.
4 ways to help someone with dementia keep a clean home
1. Empathize with their situation
It’s not your loved one’s fault that they can’t keep up with the cleaning tasks. Approach the subject of housekeeping with kindness, patience, and empathy, but stop short of offering to help or do it for them. Many people with dementia might take offense at the suggestion that they can’t take care of basic tasks such as housekeeping.
It really depends on the person’s awareness about their condition. If you do want to help clean, find positive things to praise in the meantime. For example, praise the food while you try to help wash all the dishes in the sink and wipe the counter down. You can also quickly clean the sink and toilet when visiting the bathroom.
2. Involve them in cleaning the home
If they’re open to having help with cleaning, let them take the lead so your loved one feels as if they are getting the house cleaned. They may also enjoy this as an activity you can do together.
You can also ask if you can host a cleaning day and invite other family members to participate; it becomes a family gathering. Assign different parts of the house to each individual and ensure there are enough cleansers, cloths, dusters, and garbage bags for everyone.
3. Take on the heavy housekeeping tasks
It’s a good idea to take on the heavier housekeeping tasks and let your loved one handle the lighter duties, especially if they have limited mobility. For example, while you handle vacuuming, laundry and scrubbing, they can dust furniture, fold clothes, and put dishes away.
4. Hire professional cleaners who specialize in helping seniors
Remember, you and your loved one are never alone when it comes to services that help them live independently in their own home, even in the early stages of dementia. When you need professional, senior-friendly housekeeping services, contact the professional eldercare team at CareHop.
Quality in-home elder care services in Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, and Brampton
CareHop specializes in providing safe, professional eldercare services, including on-demand Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care, that bring peace of mind to families who need support.
We also offer other in-home elder care services such as homemaking and meal preparation, personal care, activities, and casual companionship that help ensure your loved one gets all the professional care they need.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation discussion to discover how we can help you with safe, cost-effective eldercare solutions.
