Love one remains in a clean and healthy environment

The duties included in light housekeeping are those that maintain an orderly living space that allows the person being cared for to exist in a clean environment with peace of mind that daily tasks are completed for them.

On a daily basis, this means that along with meal preparation, our client can count on the fact that the dishes required for their meal will be cleared away, washed and put back in the cupboard. They can count on their bath being drawn and towels set out for their use.

They can also count on the fact that after their bath that towels and wash clothes will be hung up to dry or put in the laundry. They can also take comfort in the fact that the bathroom will be cleaned after they have used it, including the sinks, shower/tub, toilet, countertop and mirrors. Light housekeeping includes things like watering the plants, dusting of surfaces and knickknacks, as well as picking up newspapers, magazines and other clutter. It also includes emptying the trash, vacuuming and sweeping of main walk areas. It can also include organizing drawers, shelves and closets.

In a nutshell light housekeeping is completing the specific tasks required to tidy up areas that a client uses. Examples of what a light housekeeping service does not include are heavy-duty cleaning tasks that require moving heavy furniture, washing windows, cleaning carpets, or scrubbing floors. Nor does it cover outside chores, raking, or mowing the grass. Light housekeeping, as part of a homecare service, is offered and restricted to the client and those areas used by the client. Typically that means the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. It should not be confused as a housekeeping service as light housekeeping is only one part of an overall care service provided to an elderly or disabled adult to make their lives safer and more pleasant. Additionally, state regulations require that caregivers spend 80% of their time in direct interaction with the person they are caring for and not on tasks that fall under the category of housekeeping.