In our daily support of the elderly and their caregivers, we notice that certain tasks, once mundane, become real challenges. Housekeeping is one of them. Far from being a simple question of aesthetics, home maintenance for an elderly person is a fundamental pillar of their security, health, and psychological well-being. It's no longer about making the house shine like a new penny, but transforming it into a safe and soothing sanctuary. It's a mission that requires method, empathy, and a fine understanding of the new needs that arise with age.
With us, we approach personal care holistically. We know that well-being is not limited to cognitive stimulation or communication, even though these are aspects we cherish through our tools. The living environment is the stage for our elders' lives, and taking care of it means taking care of them. This article aims to be a practical guide, a result of our field experience, to help you redefine priorities and adopt the specific techniques for a caring and adapted cleaning.
We often think of cleaning in terms of cleanliness. However, for an aging person, this task has much deeper dimensions. It is a preventive act, a gesture of care, and an essential contribution to serenity. The domestic environment can become an ally or an adversary; an adapted cleaning ensures it remains firmly in the former camp.
Fall prevention: a major safety issue
The first and most urgent priority is safety. Every year in France, falls among the elderly are responsible for thousands of hospitalizations and often irreversible loss of autonomy. A poorly maintained home is a real obstacle course. Imagine a cluttered floor like a river scattered with invisible rocks. The slightest rug that curls up, the electrical cord snaking through the middle of the passage, or a small puddle near the sink can have dramatic consequences.
Our role, by adapting the cleaning, is to clear the way. This means:
- Systematically decluttering passageways: hallways, areas around the bed, chair, and toilet. It's about creating clear and wide "highways" of circulation.
- Securing the floors: fixing rugs with double-sided adhesive tape or ideally removing them. Ensuring immediate drying of any wet surface, especially in the bathroom and kitchen.
- Managing wires and cables: running them along the walls and securing them so they do not become traps.
According to Health Insurance, simple adjustments and regular home maintenance are powerful levers to reduce the risk of falls. Cleaning is therefore not a chore, but a mission of active protection.
Hygiene and health: beyond visible cleanliness
With age, the immune system can become less effective. A healthy environment is therefore essential to prevent infections and health problems, especially respiratory ones. Dust, mites, mold are invisible enemies that thrive in a poorly ventilated or insufficiently cleaned home.
Adapted cleaning focuses on critical points. In the kitchen, it's not just about cleaning the countertops, but tracking bacteria. This involves regular disinfection of the refrigerator, systematically checking food expiration dates, and cleaning areas where microbes like to lodge (sponges, door handles, trash). In the bathroom, fighting humidity and mold is crucial to ensure clean air and avoid slips. Regular cleaning of shower or bathtub joints with white vinegar is a simple but very effective gesture.
Psychological well-being: an environment that soothes
Never underestimate the impact of a living environment on morale. A clean, tidy, and bright space is a source of comfort and inner peace. For an elderly person, and even more for someone suffering from cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease, disorder can be a source of anxiety and confusion. A familiar and predictable environment is reassuring.
When every object has its place, the brain does not have to constantly strive to navigate its own home. Just knowing where one's glasses, remote control, or favorite book are located reduces mental load and stress. Caring cleaning thus also involves creating a cocoon where the mind can rest, where markers are stable. It is an act of care that nourishes the soul as much as the body.
Cleaning priorities: where to start?
Faced with the magnitude of the task, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The key is not to seek perfection but to focus on what is essential. Actions must be prioritized according to their impact on safety and health. Think of house maintenance not as a weekly sprint but as a long-distance race, with daily gestures and larger tasks spread out over time.
High-risk areas: kitchen and bathroom
These two rooms are the most critical. They combine fall risks (water, slippery floors) and health risks (bacteria, mold). They should receive almost daily attention.
- In the kitchen: Clean and disinfect the countertop, sink, and table every day. Dispose of waste immediately to avoid odors and pests. Once a week, check the refrigerator contents, clean the shelves, and ensure nothing is expired. The floor should be swept daily and washed frequently to remove crumbs and stains that could become slippery.
- In the bathroom: After each use, it's good to squeegee the shower walls and ventilate the room to combat humidity. The toilet, sink, and grab bars should be disinfected very regularly. The floor deserves special attention to stay dry and clean.
Living areas: living room and bedroom
In these rooms, the priority is twofold: ensuring smooth circulation and maintaining good air quality. Disorder is the main enemy. It's not about storing everything in boxes but making sure the paths between the bed, door, window, and chair are always free. Coffee tables should be cleared to place a glass of water or medications without risking spilling everything.
Dusting is more than a matter of appearance. It is essential for people with allergies or respiratory problems. A weekly pass with a microfiber cloth on furniture, shelves, and objects is necessary. Also, remember to shake out cushions and throws outside. The vacuum cleaner should be used at least once a week, emphasizing under beds and furniture where dust accumulates.
Invisible "enemies": ventilation and air quality
This is an often forgotten aspect of cleaning but absolutely fundamental. Indoor air is up to ten times more polluted than outdoor air. It is laden with humidity, volatile organic compounds (from furniture, paints, cleaning products), and allergens. The simplest and most effective gesture is to ventilate each room for at least 10 to 15 minutes a day, even in winter. This natural ventilation renews the air, evacuates humidity, and reduces the concentration of pollutants. It is a health reflex that costs nothing and has a huge impact on well-being.
Techniques and tips for effective and safe cleaning
Helping an elderly person to maintain their home requires adapting not only priorities but also methods. The goal is to maximize efficiency while minimizing risks, both for the person being helped and for the caregiver.
Product choice: simplicity and safety
The arsenal of modern cleaning products is often aggressive. Their fumes can irritate the respiratory tract, which is particularly problematic for fragile elderly people. We advise you to return to gentler and equally effective basics. White vinegar is an excellent descaler and disinfectant. Baking soda is a gentle scrub and deodorizer. Black soap is a natural degreaser perfect for floors.
The advantage of these products is twofold: they are less harmful to health and the environment. Furthermore, simplifying the range of products avoids confusion. Ensure that containers are clearly labeled and stored out of reach if the person presents cognitive disorders. Safety always comes first.
Ergonomics in the service of cleaning
Cleaning can be physically demanding. To avoid injury or exhaustion, one must work smart. Use tools with long handles (telescopic broom, extendable duster) to reach heights and corners without climbing a stepladder or bending excessively. A lightweight cleaning cart can be useful for transporting products from one room to another without having to carry heavy loads.
The most important technique is undoubtedly to break down tasks. Rather than devoting an entire day to an exhausting big clean, spread efforts over the week. Monday, dusting; Tuesday, sanitation; Wednesday, floors, etc. This approach makes work less intimidating and more sustainable.
Involving the elderly person without overburdening them
Maintaining autonomy is essential for self-esteem. If their health allows, encouraging an elderly person to participate in cleaning can be very beneficial. It is not about asking them to scrub floors on their knees but to assign tasks suited to their abilities. Folding laundry while sitting on a chair, dusting a coffee table, organizing magazines... Each small contribution is a victory that keeps them active and gives them a sense of being useful and in control of their environment. It is a way to turn a chore into a shared activity, a moment of collaboration.
Communicate and understand: the key to accepted help
Intervening in a person's intimate space is a delicate act. Cleaning, because it touches on personal organization and objects filled with memories, can be a source of friction. A purely technical approach is doomed to failure. Communication and empathy are the most important tools in your arsenal.
More than cleaning, a bond of trust
Before moving any object, a dialogue must be established. Explain why you suggest making such and such a change. For example: "I think that if we move this small table, the passage to the window will be safer for you. What do you think?". By presenting your actions in terms of safety and comfort and asking for their opinion, you turn a potential intrusion into an act of care. You must respect the person's rhythm, habits, and attachment to a certain "disorder" which, for them, is familiar order.
Our tools for facilitating exchange and stimulation
We know from experience that communication can be complex, especially in the face of cognitive disorders. This is why we have developed approaches and tools to strengthen the bond, because a bond of trust facilitates all forms of help. Our training on supporting people with Alzheimer's and related disorders specifically aims to provide caregivers with the keys to better understand their loved one's world, to communicate non-verbally, and to handle delicate situations with care.
Sometimes words fail. Our tool MON DICO, for example, is an application designed to help seniors with language disorders express their needs and emotions through images and pictograms. It can be used to convey a preference: "I prefer this frame to stay on this table." Similarly, our memory games on the tablet EDITH are not just a simple pastime. They are a gateway to create a bond, share a pleasant and relaxed moment. After a stimulating and successful game, it's often easier to tackle more concrete topics like organizing a shelf. The positive interaction generated by the game paves the way for more serene collaboration on everyday tasks.
Listening to needs and respecting habits
Each person has their own story, inscribed in the walls of their home and in the objects they inhabit. A radical "big sort" is often a bad idea. It can be experienced as a violence, a negation of a whole life. Proceed in small steps, with the person's consent. Focus on what is objectively dangerous or unsanitary. For the rest, respect their choices. This slightly faded photo, this pile of newspapers, this collection of knick-knacks... all this is part of their identity. The goal is not to create a magazine interior but a living space that resembles them and is secure.
Plan and organize cleaning long term
Once the priorities are defined and communication established, the final step is to set up sustainable organization. Improvisation leads to exhaustion and forgetfulness. Good planning brings serenity to both the caregiver and the cared-for.
Establishing a predictable routine
Routine is reassuring. Setting up a simple and repetitive cleaning schedule helps the elderly person anticipate and more easily accept assistance. This could be a chart displayed on the refrigerator, with simple tasks spread over the week.
Here is an example of possible distribution:
- Daily tasks: Air out all rooms (15 min), make the bed, clean the kitchen countertop, sweep the kitchen.
- Biweekly tasks: Clean and disinfect the toilets and bathroom, vacuum in living areas.
- Weekly tasks: Dust the furniture, change bed linens and towels, clean floors, empty all trash cans.
This clear structure avoids discussions and integrates house maintenance into the normal flow of the week.
The big sort: a delicate but necessary step
Over time, objects accumulate and can end up creating dangerous clutter. Addressing sorting must be done with infinite patience. Never do it alone. Suggest doing it together, one small area at a time: a drawer, a shelf, a cupboard corner. The goal is not to "throw away" but to "make space for safety". Use boxes: "to keep", "to give away", "to store elsewhere" (cellar, attic). Celebrate each small success, each space cleared that improves circulation and safety.
Knowing when to seek professional help
As a caregiver, it is crucial to recognize your own limits. It's not always possible to do everything. Calling on home help services is not a failure but an act of lucidity and love. These professionals are trained in adapted cleaning techniques and can handle the heavier tasks, allowing you to focus on the quality of your relationship with your loved one. Government portals like Pour-les-personnes-agees.gouv.fr can guide you to available services in your region.
In conclusion, approaching cleaning for an elderly person invites us to change perspective. We move from a logic of performance and perfection to a human-centered approach, where each gesture is guided by safety, health, and dignity. It's meticulous work that combines very concrete technical skills with deep emotional intelligence. By combining a carefully maintained material environment and a quality human connection, we manage to offer our elders the protective cocoon they deserve to age serenely at home.
In the context of the article "Adapted cleaning for seniors: priorities and specific techniques," it is interesting to consider the importance of digital tools to improve the quality of life for the elderly. A relevant article on this subject is The best educational apps for tablets, which explores how apps can be used to stimulate seniors' minds and provide them with enriching activities. These technologies can play a complementary role to adapted cleaning techniques by contributing to a more pleasant and stimulating living environment for the elderly.
