Should my Mum cancel her cleaner?

[Ouch44]

My Mum is over 70 has a cleaner as she has some mobility issues and lives on her own. She's cancelling someone else who comes in but wasn't going to cancel her cleaner. I think she should. Just thought I should get some more opinions
She has most trouble hoovering. Any ideas?

I think she should, and put up with being in an less clean flat for a while if cleaning is a problem. Not having a hoovered floor isn’t fatal! She should continue to pay the cleaner if she can though

Perhaps the cleaner could come in and run the hoover around whilst your DM stays in another room?

Yes, I would. It’s not only physical (social) distancing but virus remains on hard surfaces for some time.

Picture this: your mum’s cleaner comes in for what? A couple of hours a week? To make a living, s/he needs to work for another maybe 15 Or more clients a week. S/he will have just come from one of those houses. How many other people’s germs is s/he likely to be bringing to your mum? Would you recommend she sat in that many people’s houses and had a cup of tea with them over the course of the week?

Hoovering isn’t essential. Making sure your mum stays as safe as possible, and making sure that if she does get ill, there’s capacity in hospital for her, very much is.

I would cancel too. It’s just not worth the risk.

Yes cleaner is a friend she will pay her. She's listening to advice. Just sad for her as she will not see anybody 😢 We are 100s of miles away - not that we could visit anyway.

I wouldn’t cancel a cleaner actually. I’d cancel pretty much everything else but not that. I think the risk can be very well limited - the cleaner wears gloves which stay in your mum’s house, your mum goes into a different room. Ask the cleaner to stay away if she has any symptoms at all.

What about asking her to do some shopping for her instead?

My neighbour is elderly and has a high risk condition. She lives alone.
We will talk on the phone and I can also sit outside her front room window to have a chat through the open window.

Hopefully there will be people near your mum to do that occasionally?

I can see I’m alone on the cancellation of cleaner! Yes shopping for her would be good idea.

Regular calls/facetime slots can be a good substitute for visits, not as good but a lot better than nothing.

Yes we have already started FaceTiming her daily.

Maybe her and the cleaner can have a chat at the back door. She can't stand for long

Hi I'm a self employed cleaner with some elderly clients. At their wishes, I am continuing at the moment with precautions in place:
-Hand washing on arrival,
-disinfecting all hard surfaces before leaving (including hand rails, cupboard and door handles, work surfaces, etc)
-insisting the client stays in one room while I'm there (that room will be cleaned on next visit, rotating the room they're in)

• maintaining distance. I would normally stay and have a cup of tea and chat after cleaning with my mainly housebound clients and will unfortunately be stopping that for the time being.

-wearing disposable gloves whilst in property. -Cancelling all visits if I have any symptoms however mild.

Some of my older clients rely on my help with cleaning and laundry. It's worth deciding if:

-your mum can cope without a cleaner for a couple of months, i.e. basic level of hygiene and safe conditions
-the cleaner will implement precautions as above.
-your mum is particularly vulnerable i.e. underlying health conditions

I live in a small village, all my clients are local and I walk there. I think a cleaner using public transport/inner city is higher risk.

Also consider that the cleaner may have to take on other work if cancelled for a long period. This may mean losing your mum's slot with this particular cleaner. One of my clients has offered me a retainer of 50% weekly wage if they ask me not to come in.

I hope some of that helps.

My mum is in lockdown and we have said to not cancel her cleaner. She can not do anything but the very basics like through some bleach down the sink or toilet due to disabilities. The cleaner is taking the above precautions like a PP.

My mum needs to have as normal a life while being stuck indoors. It would not do her health any good to be living in filth for the next 3 or 4 months.

Thanks. That list is very useful. I will copy it and send it to her then maybe re-evaluate.
She is going to continue to pay her if she doesn't come. She really takes care of my Mum so definitely don't want to lose her.

Luckily my Mum is part of her church community so has people looking out for her.

As one myself, any at risk groups should absolutely be cancelling their cleaners to avoid any contamination however, with all the chemicals we use, we are probably the safest people around 😂

Yes, cancel but it's lovely she will still pay her. I think it's Skype or FaceTime all the way now. We are in isolation as DS fever, vomiting and coughing Day 2 and I'm stir crazy already.

I think @SmileyClare has excellent suggestions and your mum should do that.