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As you’re caring for your senior clients this spring, take some time as you go about your day with them to take note of anything that could use a little spring cleaning or sprucing up. It is a great time to write down a list of things you’ve noticed but really haven’t had a chance to change or bring to anyone’s attention. If you’re always in the home, you might notice things that family members and loved ones don’t see as they’re visiting with their seniors. It is a great way to ensure your clients are in a safe, clean, and comfortable home.
Here are some ideas of things to look out for.
Home maintenance: Have you noticed that when you help your client bathe the handrails are loosening up each time? Maybe they’re still secure in the wall, but you’ve noticed they’re just a bit looser. Or maybe the banister going upstairs feels more wobbly. It is a great time to take those thoughts out of the back of your mind and bring them to the attention of family members, so they can go through the home and tighten all of the screws and more things spring.
Stock Up: Ask them to have a stock of 9-volt batteries on hand. Maybe you’ve been there during the day, and the smoke detector has started beeping. Have them stock up, so everything can be in working order.
Overstock: Is the medicine cabinet overflowing with empty bottles? Have you noticed that the date on some of the bottles is way past their expiration date? Bring these things to the attention of family members, so they can do some spring cleaning of the cabinet at this time of the year, and remove anything that shouldn’t be in there.
Decluttering: Do you notice magazines or newspapers that have piled up over winter, when it was too chilly to bring them out to the recycling bin? Are winter brackets piling up on a bench, and spilling onto the floor? Anything that is piling up on the floor can potentially cause a tripping hazard for senior citizens. If you notice anything like this, bring it to the attention of your client and his or her family.
Lots of Leftovers: Is there food in the refrigerator your senior client just won’t eat, and that has been sitting there for a while? Maybe it’s growing some mold on it. Bring this to the attention of your clients, so there is nothing unhealthy or that can cause illness in the refrigerator that your senior client might accidentally grab.
Overgrown foliage: Before the buds started sprouting and leaves began to grow, no one may have noticed. But now that it’s spring and things are growing, there might be branches that are protruding in the backyard that they need to walk around when they go outside and could cause a tripping issue for your senior clients. Maybe the leaves are in the way of your senior client looking out to the street, and you know how much they love to sit by the window and watch what’s happening in the neighborhood. You can highlight things like this as you strive to ensure your senior clients have the most comfortable and safe environment to live in.
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