I’ve worked with a lot of clients whose goal is to live in their own homes for their entire lives. Living in a nursing home is not even a possibility.

Two people sitting and watching the sunset. Photo by Unsplash

Truth be told, I’m one of those people, too.

I’m also a realist who’s worked with hundreds of older adults.

I’ve come to the realization that eventually, I’m going to find it difficult to take care of myself AND my house.

It’s possible for me to have an accident, become ill, or just deal with the struggle of aging, which makes it more difficult for me to manage my household.

I won’t always have the energy and strength to take care of my needs and my house.

It’s easy to fear and worry about the future. Who will take care of the yard and change the furnace filter? How will the cooking and cleaning be done? What will happen to the laundry if I can’t carry it up the stairs?

The antidote to fear is to plan on making changes to the home in case life throws a curveball. Here are seven ways to help you take care of your house for life.

1) Move to the main level in your home.

Think about the rooms at home that you use the most.

In my case, I use the main entry (my back door), bedroom, bathroom, laundry, and the kitchen the most. All of these rooms are on the main floor of my house.

This eliminates the need for me to use time and energy to walk up and downstairs to do daily activities. For instance, I don’t have to ask my husband to carry laundry up and down the steep basement stairs because I’m afraid I’ll fall. I can just do the laundry on my own time.

Living room and kitchen. Photo by Unsplash

Sidenote: Although I don’t launder my clothes and linens daily, I do laundry once a week to keep things fresh! It still helps to keep laundry on the main level of the home as opposed to the basement.

Once you’ve identified the places you use the most at home, try to do as many daily activities as you can on that level.

For example, let’s say your bedroom is on the second floor and you always sleep in the recliner in the living room on the main level. Consider converting the living room into the bedroom and use the bedroom on the second floor for a different purpose.

Set up your home for your convenience, not the expectations of other people!

I know some of you may find this to be radical speak, but honestly, think about it. We can change our homes to fit our needs and wants.

If changing the living room into a bedroom ensures that you’re able to manage your house and take care of your physical well being, then what’s the problem in that?

2) Store seldom-used items in the basement or attic.

It’s time to put those younger family members to work! Task those youngins with helping you move seldom-used things to the attic or basement storage!

When you store seldom-used items, like seasonal holiday decorations or sentimental items, in the basement or attic, it gives the main floor in your home more room to keep things you need on a daily basis.

Don’t use the linen closet to store your inflatable Santa! Use the linen closet for storing linens, cleaning supplies, or pantry items. This way you’re not wasting time and energy shoving Santa to the side while looking for a clean washcloth.

Tip: Try to store infrequently used items in clear plastic totes or label opaque plastic totes in order for people to know what’s inside.

3) Make cleaning equipment accessible.

On the main level of your home, put your cleaning equipment within reach, not on high shelves or shoved in the back of stuffed closets.

Some easy ways to do this would be to:

Install pull-down or pull out shelving in top and bottom cabinets.
Hang brooms and mops on the inside or back of doors, closets, or cupboards.
Designate a cleaning caddy to make it easier to carry supplies with you to different rooms.
Leave specific cleaning supplies to their respective rooms, like leaving bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathroom.

4) Store cleaning solutions in smaller bottles.

It’s easier to handle smaller bottles than humongous gallon-sized bottles.

Think about the cleaning caddy, would you want to lug a gallon-sized bottle of cleaner around the house or a pint-sized one? You save energy and reduce the risk of injury when you use smaller bottles for everyday tasks.

This reminds me of watching my grandmother struggle to pour a 32 oz bottle of dish soap just to wash dishes. I asked my mother to buy her smaller bottles or pour dish soap from a large container into a small bottle.

Granny doesn’t need to struggle with washing dishes and neither do you!

5) Use ergonomically designed cleaning supplies.

When looking for ergonomically designed cleaning supplies, consider the following:

Pump handle on soap bottle. Photo by Unsplash

Pump handles on bottles
Lightweight brooms, mops, dusters
Grips on handles made of rubber
Tools that do more than one thing (i.e. multifunctional)
Handles that are length adjustable
Long handles on equipment like dustpans (so you don’t bend so much!)

All of these qualities will help make your job taking care of the household much much easier!

Work smarter, not harder!

6) Reduce the number of things you own.

People don’t like to hear this tip because they automatically don’t want to give up their possessions. I understand. But the more stuff you own, the more work, time, and energy you need to devote to take care of it!

You just need to get super honest with yourself and ask questions like: do I really need informal and formal dining room sets?

As pretty as the formal dining room is, the answer truly is “no”. Pick one set and use it every day.

I’m not trying to be mean and tell you to give away everything you love. I’m raising awareness on how owning a LOT of things can make it difficult for you to take care of your household for your lifetime.

7) Decide who can help care for your household.

Family and friends smiling at camera. Photo by Unsplash

If there’s an elective surgery or an accident that leaves you unable to care for your household, you need another option to make sure the laundry and dishes are done.

Ask your friends and family if they’re willing to help with specific tasks. It helps if the household task is something they like to do (and do well!).

Be sure to tell them how often these chores need to be done and where to find the cleaning equipment to do the job.

In my grandparents’ case, my uncle helped with yard work while my mother cooked complicated meals with my grandmother.

Communicate on what’s going to work best for your family member, because in the end, that’s going to work best for you!

Another reasonable option is to hire a professional service. Have a list ready with the things you’ll need assistance with, like vacuuming, mopping, changing bed linens, etc.

Be aware of pricing and add the cost to your monthly budget. Also, price several companies and ask other people about their experience with that service.

If you start planning these changes now, the chances of you being able to care for yourself and your house for a lifetime will improve. I understand that not every tip will 100% pertain to your situation. However, you can take the ideas you like the most and apply them right now.

Sometimes life can feel really unpredictable, but these tips will help you feel a little more grounded and more certain about taking care of your home.

Share what you’ve done to make the house chores easier in the comments below.! You may help someone out!

You better do it before you need it!

(Psssssttt . . . Hey, did you know we have an awesome online course for people who have a hard time wiping after using the toilet? It’s an awkward topic that you can learn how to solve in the comfort and privacy of your own home! Learn more about the course HERE!)

7 Ways to Take Care of Your House for Life