Why Does Dementia Awareness Training Matter for Home Cleaning?
September marks World Alzheimer’s Month, a period dedicated to raising awareness, dispelling myths, and enhancing understanding of dementia. Additionally, World Alzheimer’s Day is observed on September 21st.
For Merry Maids, raising dementia awareness is especially vital because our teams enter customers’ homes. We recognise that inviting someone into your home can feel very different when you or a loved one is living with dementia.
Therefore, our staff have completed Dementia Awareness training, equipping them with greater knowledge and understanding of the condition. This training enables our teams to approach customers and their homes with increased awareness, patience, and consideration.
Why Does Dementia Awareness Training Matter for Home Cleaning?
Professional home cleaning is a personal service that involves entering spaces where customers should feel safe and comfortable.
For individuals living with dementia, unfamiliar faces, routine changes, or unexpected activities can sometimes lead to feelings of uncertainty. Increasing dementia awareness enables our teams to better understand why a customer might need extra time, reassurance, or a different approach.
Our Dementia Awareness training encourages our maids to be more mindful of how they communicate, the importance of patience and respect for familiar routines, and the need to avoid unnecessary disruptions.
It also emphasises that each person with dementia is unique. While our teams are professional cleaners, not caregivers or dementia specialists, this knowledge helps us deliver our services more thoughtfully and sensitively.
Why Can Familiarity Matter at Home?
Home is filled with familiar objects, routines, and surroundings.
For someone with dementia, keeping everyday items in expected places can make them easier to find and help maintain a sense of familiarity.
Cleaning should respect how they use their space. At Merry Maids, this means returning items to their original spots or avoiding unnecessary changes during cleaning.
A tidy home doesn’t have to look completely rearranged afterwards; often, consistency is more important.
How Can Regular Cleaning Support Someone Living With Dementia?
Regular cleaning can help maintain a calm, comfortable and easy-to-navigate home.
Keeping on top of housework can help:
- Keep floors and walkways clear
- Reduce unnecessary clutter
- Maintain familiar living spaces
- Keep frequently used rooms clean and comfortable
- Reduce the amount of cleaning family members or carers need to manage
Regular visits help establish a more consistent cleaning schedule, rather than waiting for a major cleaning session.
For families caring for someone with dementia, having someone else handle the housework can also provide valuable extra time.
How Can You Prepare a Dementia-Friendly Home for Autumn?
September brings its own changes. Evenings gradually grow darker, routines shift after summer, and coats, shoes and other seasonal items begin to return to the home.
A few simple steps can help keep the environment familiar and comfortable.
Keep Lighting Consistent
As evenings grow darker, notice how lighting is arranged in rooms.
Dark spots, glare, and pronounced shadows can sometimes cause confusion. Ensure commonly used areas are well lit, and maximise natural daylight during the day.
Keep Walkways Clear
Autumn often brings more shoes, coats, umbrellas, and bags to entrances and hallways.
It’s helpful to assign a designated spot for these items instead of letting them accumulate around walkways.
Avoid Unnecessary Changes
As seasons change, you might be tempted to rearrange a room entirely.
However, keeping familiar furniture arrangements and belongings can assist someone living with dementia. When making seasonal adjustments, do so gradually whenever possible.
Maintain Familiar Routines
September often brings changes to family routines.
Maintaining consistent household patterns when possible can offer stability.
This may involve sticking to familiar meal times, routine activities, and predictable visits from regular visitors.
Merry Maids in Support of Alzheimer’s Society
Merry Maids is proud to partner with Alzheimer’s Society as our Charity of the Year.
Our fundraising efforts support raising awareness and funds for those impacted by dementia.
This dedication aligns with our home visits, as dementia awareness training has enhanced our teams’ knowledge and empathy. It influences how we communicate, clean, and serve our customers with mindfulness.
During World Alzheimer’s Month, we aim to keep the conversation active and foster a deeper understanding of the daily realities faced by people living with dementia and their families.
How Can Merry Maids Help?
If you or a loved one with dementia needs assistance managing household chores, Merry Maids offers regular professional cleaning services. Our teams, trained in Dementia Awareness, recognise that each customer and home is unique. We strive to deliver a trustworthy cleaning service with compassion, respect, and sensitivity.
Find your nearest Merry Maids to schedule a cleaning or call 0800 021 3072 today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dementia Awareness training?
Dementia Awareness training helps people develop a deeper understanding of dementia and how it may affect someone’s everyday experiences. At Merry Maids, this helps our teams approach customers living with dementia with greater awareness and consideration.
Why does dementia awareness matter for a professional cleaner?
Cleaning takes place inside a customer’s personal space. Greater dementia awareness can help cleaners understand the importance of communication, familiarity, patience and avoiding unnecessary disruption.
Can regular cleaning support a dementia-friendly home?
Regular cleaning can help keep floors clear, reduce clutter and maintain a comfortable home. It can also take housework off the to-do list for families and carers.
How can I make a home more dementia-friendly as autumn approaches?
Keep walkways clear, maintain familiar routines and furniture layouts, and consider lighting as the evenings become darker.
