As we age, the tasks associated with managing a home can become trickier to carry out alone, and there may come a time when extra help is needed. This does not mean to say that giving up the home you love is the only option out there. Hiring a live-in housekeeper may be the ideal solution for this problem, allowing an individual to remain in the home they love whilst being supported with its upkeep.
Seeking the support of a live-in housekeeper ensures that your home is kept in tip-top condition. This service can be completely personalised to suit the individual’s needs and budget. From a few hours a week to help with more challenging chores to regular daily help with a wider range of tasks, hiring a live-in housekeeper can be a cost-effective way to enable you to enjoy the home you love.
What is considered as housekeeping?
Housekeeping involves many everyday household chores. A live-in housekeeper can take care of the following tasks, making living alone in your own home a more pleasurable experience:
Cleaning
Maintaining a clean and tidy home can be all the more difficult as we age. Mobility issues, tiredness, and fatigue can affect an individual’s ability to carry out tasks such as hoovering, dusting, cleaning the oven, mopping up spills, and clearing away clutter. Leaving messes to accumulate is not only unsanitary, and a trip hazard, it can be unpleasant to live around. Housekeeping services can ensure the home you love is a relaxing place to live in.
Laundry
Doing laundry and ironing is a time-consuming and strenuous task. Stripping bedding, carrying laundry, and standing in front of the ironing board require some strength and stamina. For individuals who are physically unable to lift and carry heavy loads, a housekeeper can literally take the weight off your shoulders. Also, for those with dementia, using the iron may come with the added worry linked to switching it off after use. A housekeeper can help reduce the risk of fires and the stress of using potentially dangerous household appliances.
Shopping
Housekeeper’s duties also extend to tasks outside the home. If you need someone to take care of your weekly shop, collect prescriptions, or run errands, a housekeeper can make all of these trips so you don’t have to.
Preparing meals
Individuals living alone may feel less likely to cook nutritious meals for themselves as they begin to find preparing food a time-consuming chore. Some people associate food with feeding family and loved ones, and when faced with living alone they can lose interest in preparing meals for themselves. A housekeeper can help reignite a fondness for food and assist in cooking delicious meals in line with personal tastes and dietary requirements. What’s more, the washing up will also be taken care of.
Pet care
Pets can offer so much to elderly people living alone. However, looking after pets can become increasingly difficult as we age. Finding a pet-friendly housekeeper ensures that your pet receives the care it needs to live a long and healthy life with you. From feeding and providing fresh drinking water to walking them and emptying out litter trays, a live-in housekeeper can do it all.
Can a live-in carer help with housekeeping?
A live-in carer can help with light housekeeping tasks as part of their duties. Not only do individuals benefit from support with mobility, personal care, medication management, and much more, but they can also enjoy the advantages of living in a clean and clutter-free environment.
However, there are tasks that a live-in housekeeper does not typically perform, which are useful to be aware of. A live-in carer’s job description does not allow:
- Building maintenance
- DIY
- Moving heavy furniture
- Nursing care e.g. dressing wounds, injecting, or setting up drips
- Window cleaning
- Working 24 hours a day without breaks
- Hairdressing
How Country Cousins can help
Deciding whether to opt for an hourly housekeeper or a live-in carer depends on what other needs an individual requires help with. A live-in carer can support you or your loved one in many ways, not just with household chores. At Country Cousins, we offer live-in care services that encompass housekeeping tasks. For more information about housekeeping services offered as part of live-in care, check out our elderly housekeeping guide.
With more than 60 years of experience, you can trust us to help you or your loved one find a suitable carer to provide live-in housekeeping support at home. To find out more, download our informative live-in care brochure, to help you better understand this service.
Talk to our team today
If you require live-in care for you or your loved one, get in touch with us at Country Cousins today. We are the UK’s longest-serving introductory care agency, having provided compassionate care to people in their own homes since 1959.
Give us a call today on 01293 244 706. should you have any questions about home care. Our experienced team is on hand to help from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. Alternatively, contact us through our online enquiry form.
