Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Certified Senior Advisor and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. I love the home improvement shows on television, and I find myself motivated to do some āspring cleaning.ā I am limited, though, because of some physical restraints. How do I dive in and get what I need done?
A. I know exactly what you mean! Those shows give us a āget to itā mindset, but sometimes, we canāt do everything that we have in our minds!
Spring cleaning is one of my favorite things to do and even I know my limitations. It sounds like you have some limitations, and you certainly donāt want to add to those, so my first tip is to stay safe! I recommend you assess your chore list and from that, create two categories to help you tackle your goals.
One category will be your āto doā list, the other would be a list that requires a phone call to a provider that can help with the jobs you cannot do on your own. I label that my āprofessional list.ā
When you tackle your list, start slow. It may sound silly, but it would not hurt for you to stretch a little before undertaking any physical work. Wear comfortable, safe shoes. A well-fitting shoe with a nonskid sole is a good idea. Make sure you leave heavy objects right where they are. Moving heavy items can cause harm to your body. Leave that to an outside provider. If you need to reach high places, take caution and make sure you use a stable surface to stand on. Beware of your limitations. Using a simple step stool can be dangerous for some people. If you canāt reach an area you feel needs to be cleaned, consider putting that chore on the āprofessionalā category of your list. Take a rest break every now and then.
My husband works hard around the house, but every now and then, he takes a break and just turns on the TV for 15 minutes. These are just some basic starting tips.
Spring cleaning can be a very physical endeavor. If family can pitch in to help, that is a good way to get things done. A house-cleaning service is also a great way to get many of the spring cleaning chores done. A team of workers can accomplish so much more than you can. Some folks even work with a caregiver to accomplish light housekeeping or with organizing the pantry or closet decluttering a closet. There are many options out there.
Ask friends or neighbors how they chase away their dust bunnies, and Iām sure you will be on your way to a āspring cleanā home!
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
