What does "Light Housekeeping" mean?

[minniecarousel]

I have hired a caretaker to come in for my Mom mornings while I'm at work. She arrives around 7:30 and stays until I get home at 11:30. She gets Mom's breakfast, helps her with bathing, sometimes even a full shower. Makes her bed. She also does Mom's exercises with her....stuff like that. Mom can take a good 1 1/2 to 2 hour nap druing the 4 hours that the woman is here.

She asked for more things to do, but I'm puzzled as to what "light housekeeping" is. Mom doesn't generate a lot of laundry. I'm not comfortable having her do my laundry, but I'd be thrilled to have her do some ironing for me. This isn't ironing for Mom, but for DH & I. Does that sound proper? I'm OK with her reading a magazine or a book. Not sure about having her watch TV, as I need for her to hear when Mom calls for her.

What would you have this person do to occupy her time? (other than doing things directly with/for Mom.)

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Light housekeeping is tasks such as, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, doing dishes, laundry, bed making, generally anything that doesn't need heavy manual labor such as scrubbing walls, and that sort of thing. That comes under the Chore category (a heavier, needs more muscle or more than one person type of job).

No real lifting, pulling or pushing... mopping would be in there too. Cleaning sinks, cleaning toilets, etc.

Shopping for groceries can be considered light housekeeping in some respects.

Ironing, most definitely.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Oh, meant to say that if you are paying the caregiver, then you can ask her to do your ironing, by all means. If there is public funds involved, then you may run into some barriers to that. (CCE, or HCE or OAA dollars are what I mean when I say public funds, or Medicaid Waivers).

 

[luvmy3]

When dh's grandmother was alive she had a caretaker who did the things you mentioned plus things like vacuuming, dusting and cleaning the bathroom. She also did laundry from time to time. Nana loved having her around more for the company than anything else though

 

[golfgal]

Did you hire her on your own or did you go through an agency? If you went through an agency they will have some guidelines as to what they can and can't do. If you hired her on your own I would sit down with her and give her a list of things you would LIKE done and ask her what she feels comfortable doing for you or your mom. If she is bored while your mom sleeps, she very well may be find ironing and doing all of your laundry. If I were doing that and had 4 hours that I was getting paid to do nothing I would certainly feel better having something to do and would be happy to iron or do laundry.

 

[minniecarousel]

We hired her through an agency (which we were referred to by two different trusted friends). At this point, I will ask her if she would do some ironing for us. We have hardwood floors, so I'll ask her to swiffer them. Vacuuming Mom's room and the breakfast nook rug is a non-issue - that's FOR Mom. (he-he, all the crumbs are on the rug right below Mom's chair!)

Mom used to be my "dish fairy". She loved loading and emptying the dishwasher and did almost all of the hand-washing. Maybe I'll leave the hand washing of dishes & utensils for this woman too.

Thanks for the ideas. I've had house-cleaners from time-to-time, but never anyone in this capacity.