How do you find a cleaner?

[canary]

OK, I think the time has come for me to find someone to help me with the housework. Ive never had to do anything like this before. I need someone with an understanding of dementia and a sympathetic attitude towards the state of my home
But how do I find someone? Ive contacted Age UK who say they can do this, but in the event all I have received is a printout of a list of people who have the word "clean" in their title. So Ive got mostly carpet cleaners, some window cleaners, exterior/gutter cleaners, car cleaners, oven cleaners and a chimney sweep! Only 2 people on the list are domestic home cleaners, one of them is over 10 miles away and the other has no reviews.
Would it be OK to take this person on (I dont even know if she would accept), or should I look somewhere else first? If so, where?

 

[stanleypj]

I can appreciate your problem canary. It's not easy to fund a competent cleaner and the circumstances around dementia just complicate the issue. I've lost count of the different cleaners we've tried over the years (including two agencies) and only 1 or 2 were really any good. My test was whether they would clean at least as well as I was managing - so not particularly arduous a standard.

I found the best by word-of-mouth and neither lasted long through no fault of ours or theirs. If you have contact with other carers through activities you might get a lead. Have you thought of advertising locally in newsagents etc? If you get some names I would try to have a conversation about exactly how you see the job before employing them even on a trial basis,

I wish you luck.

 

[arielsmelody]

In the past, I've found cleaners by looking for adverts in Post office windows, but I've always been home while they were working so I've not been so worried about security -having said that, everyone I've found that way has been lovely, but they do tend to move on after about six months for one reason or another.

Have you tried looking in your local Thomson directory or searching online for cleaners in your area? There are franchises like Molly Maid that might be in your area.

 

[Beate]

If you go through a company like handy.com you have the advantage of being able to choose from a big pool of cleaners in your area, and setting up payment is easy. However, it's still very much trial and error finding the best of the bunch and keeping them. And obviously dementia aware is not on their list of necessary qualifications though everyone has been most understanding. John isn't around much when they're here anyway. I have a good one now but it took a while. I had a great one before but she went back to her homeland. I think looking for someone you get on with is the most important criteria. Most people can clean reasonably well or can be taught what to do but if they are constantly late or talk too much or whatever your personal bugbear is, it won't work for long. If you go to a local carers cafe, why not ask for personal recommendations?

 

[Sue J]

My HH comes through Age UK Canary and is excellent, I had to rant at them to understand I didn't want nor could I tolerate changes every few weeks or someone that I didn't get on with and they came up trumps. Worth her weight in gold. I guess Age UK in your area don't have their own pool, I think it is a franchise where I am but not sure.

I hope you manage to get someone dementia friendly - just a thought do any of the Memory cafes have notice boards for dementia friendly cleaners? I've never visited one so don't know.

 

[Spamar]

I started asking around and ended up with the lovely L, mother to one of OHs carers. She still does a morning a week and has become a friend. She was fine with OH when he was there.

 

[canary]

Thanks for your advice. I think Ill probably have to all of these things!

 

[keegan2]

I found my sitter by placing an ad on Gumtree. Asked for someone close to where I live and gave brief discription of what was required. Interviewed a handful of people and found a loverly lady the response was great still get calls asking about vacancy. If you do follow this route make sure you ask for references and proof of id and proof of where they live......

 

[CollegeGirl]

Canary, my mam and dad have a cleaner who comes through the carer agency they employ through direct payments for personal care for my mam. So because she is connected to a care agency, I would think that all her clients are those who receive care other than cleaning, and some of these will be people with dementia, meaning that she will have more understanding and experience of this than an ordinary cleaner (for want of a better phrase), although she does not give the personal care herself, just does the cleaning.

Would this be worth considering do you think? Contacting a care agency, I mean, to see if they have cleaners on their books?

 

[jugglingmum]

I had a cleaner for a while, found through a fellow mum at school, whilst she had no dementia training, she was very good with my mum when she stayed in what I now know was the early stages of dementia, and then when mum was here for a few months when it all went pear shaped. Anyone claiming to be dementia trained is only as good as what they've seen.

 

[MaNaAk]

Thankyou to everyone

I just want to thank everyone for replying to my thread. Dad is deaf so we are used to repeating ourselves but he is quite independent and has used the bus on his own without getting lost. As for his deafness I am on top of this with his appointments and also the fact that Dad's first language is noe English is a factor as well. He is quite happy for me to go away because he will be in the care of my brothers.

Thankyou very much

Ma Na Ak