Maintaining a clean and safe home is a top priority, although it may feel more challenging to perform physically demanding tasks like vacuuming, taking out the trash, and organizing as we get older. Whether you or a caregiver maintain your space, prioritizing cleanliness can improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Keeping a clean living space is one aspect of caring for your health and safety, alongside being proactive in making healthy dietary and lifestyle choices and selecting healthcare coverage that meets your unique needs. In this article, we’ll explore how older adults and caregivers can make everyday tasks easier in order to care for their living space and prolong their independence at home.
1. Give Everything a Home
Giving everything in your house its own “home” is a sure way to keep things organized and easy to find. The key to keeping this process simple is to try not to overthink it since your organizational strategy doesn’t have to make sense to anybody but you. Maybe you prefer to leave your keys in a small bowl on the kitchen counter instead of hanging them right inside the door. Or maybe the book you’re currently reading lives on the end table next to your favorite chair.
The simple act of giving everything a “home” and building the habit of putting things away where they belong can help your house feel less cluttered. This activity can also keep your cognitive function strong by practicing putting items away in their respective spaces. It takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change, so be patient with yourself while you’re working to create these new habits in keeping your home picked up.
2. Minimize Paper Pile-Up
While paper might not initially seem like a big deal, it really can become a major burden and more work than anticipated when you consider how much you take into your home. Here are some ideas to minimize your paper intake to prevent clutter.
Opt Into Email and Text Communications
Whether it’s an update from your doctor’s office, a utility bill, or receiving receipts via text message, there are a number of ways to receive the essential information you need on a regular basis without overwhelming your home with paper. If opting into email and text communications (and out of traditional mailers) feels intimidating, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a caregiver or loved one! The digital age has impacted the way in which we’re able to communicate and receive information; think of this as an opportunity to embrace it and even learn something new.
Create a Filing System
Some communications will continue to come by mail, so to help yourself stay organized, you can create a schedule to check your mailbox. Then, set time aside shortly after to go through everything you’ve received and organize it. The categories could look like:
Bills and Insurance: This category would include anything you need to come back to for payment purposes or to contact your insurance carrier for additional information.
Advertisements and Coupons: This category may be anything you believe could potentially save you time or money. Consider adding a “read by” or “good by” date at the top of each, so you know when something can be recycled or needs to be used.
Education and Information: You can think of this category as items you’re interested in learning more about, be it an article, newspaper, magazine, etc. Similar to the group above, consider adding a “read by” date so this group doesn’t begin to overwhelm you and your home.
Junk: Anything you don’t think is worth your time can find its way into the junk pile, and it’s up to you to decide how you want to get rid of it. Recycling is always a good option for less important documentation, but consider shredding any documents containing personal information that are no longer needed.
3. Start the One-In-One-Out System
The older we get, the more natural it may feel to want to hold onto items because of their sentimental value. While this is perfectly okay to do, you’ll want to make sure you have a system in place—such as the “one-in-one-out” method—to ensure you aren’t over-filling or adding to the clutter in your home. The idea with this method is that every time you bring something new into your home, you consider something you can get rid of to free up space and prevent clutter. When deciding when to toss or keep an item, consider whether it’s something you need or want and determine how much of something is “too much” (i.e. how many reusable grocery bags or electronic chargers do you realistically need).
4. Have a Bedtime Routine For You and Your Home
When you’re winding down for the evening and getting ready for bed, consider setting aside some dedicated time to get your home ready for bed each night, too. This doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task or an abundance of work, but you may want to take 10-20 minutes each night to pick up a few items around your house so you can wake up feeling refreshed in your space and not have to rush each morning into doing chores or cleaning up. Here are some other tasks to consider completing before you go to sleep to keep your home clean and tidy:
Finish up any dishes or clean out the sink by putting dishes into the dishwasher.
Organize and recycle any extra papers that are left out from the day.
Make sure any other items that might be out—like your remote, glasses, medications, or the current book you’re reading—are put in their respective “homes” or places so they’re easier to locate the next day.
Lock all doors and windows to ensure your home is secure for the night.
5. Ask for Help
If it feels overwhelming to start or stay on top of keeping your home organized, ask a family member, friend, or caregiver to help get you started. Let them know if it would be beneficial for them to do regular check-ins to help you maintain.
As a caregiver or family member of an older adult wanting to spring clean this month, it can be more important than ever to remember patience and understanding during this time. Changing organizational systems and habits that have been in place for years can be intimidating for anyone. Patience and consideration can make this process more enjoyable, so try to stay as positive and supportive as you can.
6. Give Yourself Grace
It takes three weeks to create a habit and three months to make the habit a permanent lifestyle change, so it’s important to give yourself grace as you figure out a system that works for you and your home. Try to create a routine that’s realistic for you, including steps to stay on top of cleaning your home, but also build time to relax and adjust as you go. Not every day or week has to be perfect, and maintaining a positive attitude can help you stick to your new routines.
