Spring is in the air, the sun is shining, the seasons are changing and it’s time for “spring cleaning” – that ritual that helps us feel like we’re casting off the old and ushering in a feeling of renewal. The practice of spring cleaning is believed to have biological and psychological effects on us. That being said, spring cleaning may present a physical challenge of increasing difficulty as one ages, often making it easier to allow clutter to accumulate. The accumulation of clutter can create an unsafe, unsanitary and potentially hazardous living environment for our elderly loved ones. This article will help show how you can reduce falls at home and improve senior health by clearing the clutter.
A cluttered environment can limit mobility, which may lead to falls or other injuries. Falls are a major public health problem as the 2 nd leading cause of accidental deaths worldwide. Older people, those over age 65, have the highest risk of death or serious injury arising from a fall.
Clutter may impede doorways and exit pathways, making it more difficult to exit in the event of emergencies, such as fire. And, certain types of clutter may make the environment more prone to fire
Excessive clutter and inadequate cleaning may lead to a host of health hazards, such as dust accumulation, which exacerbates allergies and breathing problems. Depending on the conditions, the environment might attract bugs and rodents.
Whether the home environment is owned or leased by the occupant, clutter can progress into a level that requires the occupant to leave the premises for safety and health reasons. However, for most of us, it’s just a matter of “clearing the clutter” during our annual spring cleaning schedule.
Clearing clutter, as with spring cleaning, starts with a good checklist.
1. Conduct a room-by- room assessment, identify anything that might need to be discarded, donated, moved into storage, or returned to a proper location in the home. Look around at how things are placed. Make sure the rooms are set up for easy access. Having things close at hand makes daily tasks much easier.
2. Organize the cleaning effort. Recruit a cleaning team. Invite family members, friends, neighbors or a local church youth group.
3. Tag any items that obstruct your regular walking path to be moved or removed.
4. Check for loose carpet and unsecure area rugs; tape rug edges, repair or remove any flooring which could serve as a tripping or slipping hazard.
5. In the kitchen, remove unused appliances off the counter. Rearrange storage to provide easy access to pots/pans and other frequently used kitchen items.
6. Clear out the refrigerator and pantry of stale and expired food.
7. Identify the best storage solutions (containers and location for containers) for unused or excessive items, such as books, clothing, bedding, and household accessories.
8. Conduct a home safety check as part of the cleaning effort. Check lighting and replace bulbs as needed, replace batteries in fire/carbon monoxide detectors. Assess whether you, or your loved one, would benefit from an emergency response system, or if there is one already in the home, make sure it’s easily accessible and properly functioning (replacing those batteries as well). Is the senior able to hear and use the existing telephone in case they need to call for help? Finally, check medications. Make sure no pills are expired and that the medications are being taken as prescribed. If there are concerns about medications or medication management, make an appointment to discuss this with the primary physician. Take time to research low cost/low tech medication reminder devices.
Spring cleaning, decluttering and home organization can be daunting thoughts. Getting help will make it more fun and much safer. For seniors with reduced strength or mobility challenges, trying to clear clutter might lead to injury – the very thing you were trying to avoid by removing the obstacles in the first place. So remember, organize and get the help needed to do a safe thorough job. Then, enjoy the peace of mind it will bring.
For more information on how to safely clear any clutter in your home, or the home of an elder, contact Superior Senior Care here. We can conduct a home safety inspection and provide helpful tips to reduce potential safety hazards and thus make it possible for you or a loved one to remain at home.