There is often a discrepancy about housework and how much a live-in carer is required to do while taking care of her client. Opinions vary depending on who you talk to so it’s a good question to ask before you go to a placement. Your job as a live-in carer will include (unless there is a separate cleaning person) what is called ‘light housework.’
There is a difference between housework and ‘light’ housework. As a carer you should try to stay within these boundaries. This means that even though you love gardening, you decline to do it because if you set the precedent then following carers will either feel obliged to do that job, or face a head-to-head with client or family as to why they are refusing to do it.
What is classed as light housework?
Things that are considered light housework include, sweeping and vacuuming the carpets, washing floors and dusting. Laundry is light housework.
Light housework means that you will be asked to keep your own room and bathroom clean. You are also responsible for keeping your client’s room clean. The kitchen will come under your regime as well. Technically wherever your client spends their time is where you will keep clean.
What housework does not mean
Having kept the areas clean where you and your client spend time, you will find that there are still some areas that are in effect not for you to clean, so how much cleaning should you do in these areas?
You may find that things like the stairs and hallways fall into this category, as do conservatories and porches, studies and extra bedrooms.
As a rule of thumb, a light dusting and floor cleaning is a good idea in places where your client moves through, so you would clean the bannister and hall floor. You might want to dust around the conservatory because visitors and family might sit there.
Extra bedrooms are not your job to clean, neither are other bathrooms in the house.
So, who cleans the extra spaces?
This is often a point of contention. Family may feel that because you are getting paid, you should clean when not caring for your client. This may lead to tension when you decline to clean bedrooms and bathrooms after they visit.
Of course, having a cleaner come in once a week is a perfect solution to this, but not all placements will have one. For various reasons, this may not be an option.
Running the vacuum cleaner around the extra rooms is something that you can accept or decline. This is up to you. It is also up to you as to whether you clean bathrooms after family have visited. Bear in mind that the next carer after you may choose not to do this (and she is within her rights to do this) so leaving her in this difficult situation is unfair.
To sum up
The amount of ‘light’ housework that you do should be clearly documented in your placement notes. If it is not there, you need to question it.
Before you arrive at your placement you must be sure about how much is expected of you and whether you are prepared to do it. If not, you should talk to your support team and ask for their help. They may take this up with the bill payer and arrange a cleaner for the house instead.
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