Spring Cleaning for Senior Citizens

Over the years, I have been blessed to represent many senior citizens selling their home. I consider it a blessing, because so many of them have really awesome stories, and I love a good story! Talking to them, you actually get a sense of what they would have been like as young adults, and parents. I have marveled at the photograph of Mars taken from the first rover hanging over one special clients fireplace. She was a Computess - before computers, massive and complicated mathematical computations for space exploration were done by hand. And here she was, a woman, working in a scientific and male dominated industry back when most were washing clothes by hand and hanging them to dry (and no, there is nothing wrong with that, just a comparison to show her unique situation). She was responsible for computing distance and longitude and latitude, and who knows what else, so this amazing feat of science could land on another planet! Hearing her stories of motherhood, marriage and Cal Tech were very inspiring. Recently, with the loss of my father-in-law, I have seen many phases a senior citizen goes through as their health transitions into new stages and their loved ones caringly support them. There have been many moments I have thought my mother-in-law was in a perpetual state of spring cleaning. If you find yourself supporting a loved one who is a senior citizen and either living at home or in assisted living, below are some great tips to help them "spring clean". Seniors for Living Blog has posted this detailed list of what Spring Cleaning for senior citizens looks like: 1.Make a checklist. Write down everything you and your senior loved one would like to get done. Tasks may include washing windows and curtains, wiping out the refrigerator, scrubbing the floor, etc. Be sure to include the following tasks to reduce senior safety hazards: 1.Clean out the medicine cabinet and dispose of expired medications or those no longer prescribed 2.Throw away any expired food 3.Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors 4.Remove clutter from walkways 5.Replace light bulbs if necessary and ensure rooms and hallways are adequately lit 6.Get rid of throw-rugs to eliminate tripping hazards 7.Consider installing grab bars in the bathroom 2.Schedule it. Just like a doctor’s appointment or other important commitment, block off time in your schedule that you can devote to spring cleaning. You may want to knock everything out in one weekend, or you may want to take it one chore at a time over several weeks, fitting it in when you have time. Either way, consider it time well spent with your loved one. 3.Enlist help. Make it a family affair. The more the merrier. If you can’t convince family members to lend a hand, consider hiring help. A professional caregiver can assist with laundry, dusting, vacuuming and other light housekeeping tasks. 4.Involve your senior loved one. It’s important to keep your loved one engaged and feeling useful, no matter what his or her limitations. If it’s not easy for Mom to get around, hand her the silver polish and silverware. Or give Dad a stack of papers to go through while you take care of the rest of the home. 5.De-clutter, then clean. Seniors who have accumulated a lifetime of belongings often have so much stuff that it clutters the house and makes it difficult to clean, much less live safely in. Don’t just clean around the piles—tackle them first. But, be careful not to get trash-happy. Learn the 10 reasons seniors hang on to stuff and how to handle the clutter in a diplomatic manner. Finally, be sure to address any problems you uncover while cleaning. You don’t want to see the fruits of your labor reverse back into a pig sty in less than six months. If you discover your loved one has piles of unpaid bills, expired food in the pantry or hasn’t been cleaning up after the pets, perhaps it’s time for some extra help around the house. A little housekeeping help from a caregiver for just a few hours a week can help keep the home clean while offering your loved one companionship and support on a regular basis. As always, if you are looking for an honest, ethical and hard working realtor to support your needs, let me know. I am here to help! -Stacy