How Irene Kept Her Home Comfortable After a Hospital Stay

A Real Story of Comfort, Safety and Support with Summit Health Solutions

Getting older doesn’t automatically mean someone has to leave the home they love.
But for many families, it’s not a dramatic crisis that raises the alarm—it’s the slow build-up of dust, laundry and exhaustion.

This is exactly what happened to Irene and her daughter.

Meet Irene: Proud of Her Home, Proud of Her Independence

Irene has always taken pride in her home. The cushions were straightened, the bathroom wiped down, the floors mopped on a regular schedule “because that’s just how I like it,” she’d say.

Her home wasn’t just a building. It was where she’d raised her children, hosted Sunday lunches, and kept little bits of her personality on every shelf. Letting things slip didn’t feel like an option.

Then came a hospital stay.

It was “just a short stay” after a health scare, but the impact lingered long after she came home. She was weaker, more tired, and moving more slowly. What used to be simple tasks suddenly felt like a big ask.

The Wake-Up Call: When Housework Became Heavy Work

At first, Irene told herself she would “catch up next week.”

But next week came and:

• Bending to wipe the skirting boards pulled at her back

• Lifting the washing basket left her puffed and unsteady

• Standing long enough to clean the bathroom made her legs ache

Dust started to settle on surfaces. The bathroom didn’t get its usual shine. The floors weren’t mopped as often. Laundry quietly piled up in the basket.

Her daughter noticed—but every time she visited, Irene insisted, “I’ll get to it, love. I’m just a bit behind after hospital.”

Her daughter felt torn in two directions: her own family and work on one side, and the growing list of jobs at Mum’s place on the other. She wanted to help—but she couldn’t be there every day, and she didn’t want every visit to turn into a cleaning session.

Quietly, she began to worry.
If Mum can’t keep on top of the house, how long can she realistically stay at home?

Support That Started With Listening, Not Judging

When they reached out to Summit Health Solutions about Domestic Assistance, Irene was nervous.

“I don’t want a stranger coming in and changing everything,” she said. “I like things done a certain way.”

The first visit wasn’t about scrubbing. It was about listening.

The worker walked through the home with Irene and her daughter and asked simple, respectful questions:

• “What jobs are the hardest after your hospital stay?”

• “What do you still like doing yourself?”

• “How do you like things done—beds, towels, kitchen benches?”

They didn’t point out what was “wrong.” They focused on what would make the biggest difference to comfort and safety.

Together, they built a plan that kept Irene firmly in charge.

Domestic Assistance That Was More Than Just “a Cleaner”

For Irene, the turning point was realising this wasn’t a standard cleaning service sweeping through on their own terms. It was tailored help at home, built around her preferences and her limits.

Summit’s Domestic Assistance visits focused on:

• Floors: Vacuuming and mopping so Irene didn’t have to push heavy equipment or risk slips

• Bathroom: Cleaning the shower, toilet and basin so she didn’t have to bend and reach on wet tiles

• Kitchen surfaces: Wiping benches, stovetop and splashbacks so things stayed hygienic and fresh

• Laundry: Support with washing, hanging, folding and light ironing so the basket no longer overflowed

Irene stayed in charge of the rest—polishing a favourite ornament, rearranging photos, watering her plants. The worker followed her instructions on where things belonged and how she liked the bed made.

It wasn’t about taking over. It was about giving her an extra pair of safe, reliable hands.

One Visit at a Time, Her Home—and Confidence—Came Back

The change didn’t require a total overhaul. It came from small, regular visits that stopped everything from becoming overwhelming.

Within a few weeks:

• The dust disappeared from the shelves

• The bathroom felt clean and safe again

• The floors were fresh underfoot, not gritty

• The laundry was folded and put away instead of looming in a basket

More importantly, Irene felt like her home reflected her again.

“I can relax when I sit down,” she told her daughter. “I’m not staring at all the things I can’t do anymore—I know they’re taken care of.”

Her daughter felt the pressure lift too. She could visit as a daughter, not as a rushed cleaner squeezing in chores between work and the kids.

What to Watch For in Your Own Family

It’s easy to miss the early signs that housework is becoming too much.
Look for:

• Once-tidy homes becoming gradually cluttered or dusty

• Bathrooms going longer between proper cleans

• Laundry baskets that always seem full

• A parent who looks exhausted after “just changing the bed”

• Comments like “I’ll do it later” that never quite happen

Often, it’s not that they don’t care. It’s that the work has quietly become heavier than their body can safely manage.

Small Supports That Keep People at Home

You don’t need to wait for a crisis or a fall to step in.

A bit of well-placed Domestic Assistance can:

• Reduce the physical strain of heavy chores

• Make the home safer and more comfortable

• Ease family guilt and pressure

• Help an older adult stay at home longer, without feeling like a burden

Now, Irene wakes up in a home that feels fresh and under control—without wrecking herself trying to keep it that way. And her daughter can breathe a little easier, knowing her mum’s environment really does support her, instead of slowly defeating her.

The First Step Is Often Just a Conversation

P.S. If you’re noticing the house slowly slipping or a loved one getting worn out by cleaning, you don’t have to wait for things to “get really bad.”
Download our Home Support & Domestic Assistance Checklist and give us a call on 1300 315 315.

We’ll talk through what’s happening at home and help you find a simple, respectful way—just like Irene’s—to keep things comfortable, clean and safe without anyone feeling overwhelmed.