Around the House
Keeping your home clean and tidy has never been easier with a few simple products and processes. Check out some great suggestions to help you stay independent around your home.
How independent are you around the house?
Start by asking these questions:
- Are your cleaning products organised and accessible?
- Are your extension cords in good working order? Do you make sure not to run them across rooms, doorways, and corridors?
- Do your rugs create a trip hazard? Can you stick them to the floor? Do they have non-slip backing to stop them from moving around?
- Can you reach things high up, low down or on the floor? Do you stand on furniture or kneel on the floor to reach things? Can you use tools or equipment with long handles?
- Do you know how to adjust your chair, desk, and workspace to prevent pain in your back, neck, wrists, and arms?
Plan
When planning a task, aim to reduce extra steps and save energy. Start by breaking the task into smaller, manageable parts spread out over the week. This is easier than trying to complete it all in one day.
Prepare
Store all your cleaning products together in a light, accessible basket with a handle. Instead of carrying items long distances, try using a trolley to wheel things around. Organise your workspaces so they’re easy to access and ready to use.
Pace
Alternate between doing light tasks and more energetic activities. Try including work and rest in all your tasks. Even short breaks of five minutes increase your endurance.
Support your body to avoid pain and soreness from poor posture. Practice maintaining head, shoulder, and hip alignment while standing. Avoid awkward bending or reaching during activities. Change position every 15 minutes and kneel rather than bend. Reduce pain and stiffness by properly setting up your chair and desk and considering how you sit.
Simple solutions for everyday around the house tasks
Cleaning the floors
Try using a dustpan and brush with long handles to avoid bending. Between monthly deep cleans, you can keep on top of daily dust and dirt with a light vacuum with a longer handle. A long-handled steam mop eliminates the need for a heavy mop and bucket, too.
Cleaning the bathroom
Try a no-scrub spray cleaner and soft-grip squeegee after showering. These products wipe away soap scum. A scrubbing brush with a long handle reduces the need to bend to reach awkward spots. Keeping a spray cleaner and long-handled brush near the toilet makes cleaning easy.
Dusting
Static long-handle dusters make reaching tough spots easy. You can also try using a damp microfiber cloth, as this collects more dust. You can repurpose old socks by placing a clean, damp sock over your hand. To remove pet hair, put a damp rubber glove on one hand and run it over your furniture.
Picking things up off the floor
Lightweight reachers with long handles make it easier to grab items off the ground or from high places. Try using a kneeling frame for extra support and comfort when kneeling down. You could also install a remote control power board so you don't need to bend down to turn appliances on and off.
Using a phone
There is now a wide range of telephones with large numbers and volume booster controls. If you’re still struggling to see the handset, try using a magnifying glass with a built-in light.
Using a mobile phone
You can choose your phone's screen size, operating system, and accessibility features. Instead of dialling phone numbers, you can use programs like ‘Siri’ on iPhone and ‘Hey Google’ on Android. Save the name of each person in your phone contacts so the program can find them.
Using a computer or tablet
Setting up your computer or tablet so that it’s accessible means you’ll be able to use it more often with less effort. To reduce glare, place a desk lamp below eye level to provide brighter lighting. Check if your computer can support a bigger screen so it's easier to read.
Choosing a computer platform
Both Microsoft and Apple offer a range of built-in screen features. Colour schemes with high contrast, larger fonts, and larger mouse pointers can make screens easier to use. Separate keyboards for laptops with extra-large keys are available. Keyboard stickers can also improve contrast.
Enjoy independence every day
You can enjoy independence everywhere and everyday. We have created some helpful guides for different areas of your home and life to help you consider what small changes you can make or assistive technology you can use to regain or maintain your independence.