Things To Consider When Hiring A Maid Service For An Aging Parent

25 June 2015
 Categories: Business, Blog

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An aging parent often finds it difficult to maintain their home, but they may not be ready to move into an assisted care facility yet. As the child, you may find yourself responsible for managing daily housekeeping chores, which can cut into your time. Fortunately, there is a solution that allows your parent to live at home while ensuring the house is maintained and sanitary. The following tips can help you select the right maid service for your parent's needs.

Look for Stability

The way a maid service works can vary greatly, but they generally follow one of two basic methods:

  1. Your parent's house is put onto the weekly schedule and the maids that see to it can vary from week-to-week.

  2. One or more maids are specifically assigned to your parent's house, so the same workers will come every time.

The second type is preferred. In most cases, elderly residents are home when the maid service is onsite. It adds peace of mind to see a familiar face, and the maids can become accustomed to the way your parent prefers certain tasks.

Check for Extras

Not all maid services are created equal. Depending on the needs of your parent, you may need to find a company that offers additional services, such as:

  • Laundry
  • Minor organization
  • Meal preparation
  • Basic pet care (such as changing litter boxes or cleaning pet cages)

Keep in mind that a maid company likely won't provide for all home maintenance needs. For example, while a maid may water the flowers on the patio, you will need to hire a landscaping company to mow and maintain the lawn.

Determine Frequency

For general housecleaning, maid visits are usually limited to once or twice weekly. If your parent is fairly spry and only needs a little help with the more overwhelming or detailed tasks, you may be able to get by with only one or two maid visits a month.

There are also services that offer daily visits. These are mostly only necessary if the maid is offering meal preparation services.

Be Familiar with Your Options

It can sometimes be difficult for your parent to let a stranger into their home, even if they are thankful for the help. Take the time to interview several professional companies, like McMaid, so your parent can choose someone they are comfortable with. Choose a service that performs background checks on their staff for further peace of mind.