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Why Should you Ensure Clean Environment for Elderly
A clean environment is great for everyone, kids, adults and the elderly. You would enjoy your home a lot more when it is clean. Your visitors would also appreciate it.
Besides looking clean, a neat environment also means an absence of germs and bacteria. These germs can cause illnesses, some more serious than others.
For elderly people, being around clean environments is very important, and for various reasons too.
Health is the major reason why elders should be around clean environments.
In aged-care facilities, the cleanliness of both the caregivers and the environment is vital. If the environment is dirty, the elders would be exposed to infections, some of which may be life threatening.
In such facilities, it is also important for the caregivers to be as neat, and germ-free as possible.
Keep reading as I expand more on this very delicate topic.
The importance of a clean environment for elders are listed below.
It Creates A Homey Environment
Elders who live in aged-care homes would feel much more at home when their environment is kept clean.
When relatives are searching for aged-care homes for their loved ones, they would be looking for one that is as neat as their homes.
The smell around the facility has to be appealing, and the surfaces have to be spotless.
An aged person in such a neat environment would feel more relaxed.
It Gives The Seniors A Psychological Boost
Another reason why a clean environment is important for elders is the psychological boost it gives them. Let me explain –
When elders are in a clean environment, they would most likely have a sense of being in good health, even though they may have a health condition, thanks to how neat their surrounding is.
If their environment is dirty, they would feel sicker than they actually are. The effects of the cleanliness of an environment on an elder isn’t just physical, it is mental as well.
For this reason, it is important for the environment around elders to be kept clean at all times.
It Limits The Spread Of Germs And Infections
This for me is the most important reason why elders have to be in neat environments.
An aged-care home has many elders living there, and germs or infections could spread faster than you can imagine. This is why all the surfaces of the facility must be cleaned thoroughly.
Disinfectants and sanitizers must be used to clean the surfaces and the caregivers have to enforce strict sanitation rules.
How To Keep An Aged-Care Home As Clean As Possible And Limit The Spread Of Germs
There are a lot of things involved in keeping an aged-care home clean. It is imperative to have a set of sanitation rules that guide the daily operation of the facility. There also has to be co-operation between the elders, the staff (caregivers and non-caregivers) and the visitors.
By adhering to the sanitation rules, the facility would stand a better chance of being as neat as possible. Neatness can only bring positive results.
Below, I have made a list of how to keep an aged-care home as neat as possible. Let us take a look at them.
Wash Your Hands As Many Times As Necessary
Hand washing is a great defense tactic against the spread of germs and infections. Caregivers as well as the elders and their visitors need to wash their hands thoroughly after they come in contact with dirty surfaces.
They should make sure their hands are clean before they even touch their loved ones. Germs spread fast, and the slightest of contacts would pass it on to the next person.
All members of staff ought to be well trained in several hand-washing techniques.
Thoroughly Clean Surfaces And Floors
To keep the environment clean and germ free, it means every high-touch surface must be cleaned and sanitized regularly. A high-touch surface is one which comes in a lot of contact with human bodies, especially the hands.
Such surfaces include the kitchen tap, bathtub, remote control, floors, kitchen counters and toilets.
These surfaces can be cleaned with soap, disinfectants and sanitizers. The cleaner the surfaces, the lesser the germs. This only means a cleaner, healthier aged-care facility.
These surfaces have to be cleaned everyday, and sanitized maybe once or twice a week. For the kitchen area, the surfaces must be sanitized before any meal is cooked.
Change The Linen And Some Personal Items Regularly
This is another means of keeping a senior’s environment clean and fighting the spread of germs.
The bed sheets need to be changed regularly, especially if the elder has accidents on them.
In a case where an elder falls ill and is being treated, it is advisable to change some personal stuff like toothbrush and towel, in case the germs have made their way to those items.
Keeping A Clean Environment For Elders Who Don’t Live In Old People’s Homes
Not all elders live in aged-care homes, nonetheless, it is important that their environment remains clean.
The same rules apply. Prevention strategies like regular hand washing and sanitizing are to be employed, even in the privacy of your home.
The surfaces also need to be wiped with disinfectants. If there are kids in the house, then you need to make sure that the floors are free from scattered toys, so tripping and falling can be prevented.
Regular vacuuming is good too, as it gets rid of all the unwanted particles on the floor.
If an elder finds himself/herself alone at home most of the time, then they can chip in and help with the work.
You can buy lightweight vacuum cleaners for the elderlyso they can clean up when necessary.
You can go to an online store to find the best lightweight vacuum cleaner for the elderly, there are several good brands and models in the market.
Conclusion
A clean environment is very important for elders. Let us keep in mind that an elder’s immune system is not as resistant as they used to be, which is why preventive measures must be taken against the spread of germs.
I hope the information provided in this article have been of great help.
Take care!