There are 13 household tasks you can delegate to make life easier at home: repairs, house cleaning, furniture assembly, snow shoveling, dog walking, pet sitting, gardening, organizing, winterizing, furniture moving, junk removal, heavy lifting, and packing. Every one of them can be handed to someone else, and GoGo Home Services can arrange most of them through a single phone call to 1 (855) 464-6872.
Delegating isn't giving up control. Handing over the jobs that have become difficult or unsafe is often what protects senior independence, and it’s usually what makes aging in place possible for years longer.
Why does delegating household tasks matter?
Running a home takes more physical effort than people give it credit for. Housekeeping, pet care, repairs, and yard work each ask something of your back, your balance, or your stamina.
There's a safety argument too. Home safety for seniors depends on small things staying fixed: a loose handrail, a dark hallway, a cracked path. The CDC reports that about 1 in 4 older adults fall each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for adults over 65. Delegating protects senior independence rather than reducing it. You keep living where you want to live, and you spend your energy on the parts of the day you actually enjoy.
Which jobs are worth booking before winter?
Three of the thirteen are seasonal, and all three are easier to arrange in September than in December.
Snow removal. This is the one to take seriously. The American Heart Association warns that the strain of heavy snow shoveling may be as demanding on the heart as a treadmill stress test. In their research, participants' heart rates passed 85% of maximum after only two minutes. The AHA flags people with heart conditions, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes as most at risk, so it’s worth asking your doctor before clearing a driveway yourself.
Winterizing. Sealing drafts, insulating windows, and having the heating checked are all cheaper and easier to book now than during the first cold snap.
Yard and gutter clearing. Wet leaves on a path are a fall risk, and clogged gutters cause problems that only show up once it rains properly.
Snow removal services fill up after the first storm, not before it, so it’s worth a call to GoGo Home Services now rather than in November.
What household tasks can you delegate?
Thirteen jobs somebody else can reasonably take off your hands.
1. Minor repairs and maintenance
Small maintenance problems become safety problems if left too long. A handyman can fit grab bars and motion-activated lights, secure loose handrails and rugs, replace bulbs in stairwells, repair cracked paths, swap doorknobs for lever handles that are easier on arthritic hands, and check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
2. Regular house cleaning
Cleaning is physically demanding and usually the first thing to slide. A weekly or monthly housekeeper keeps the floors clear and the bathroom safe, which matters more than how things look. GoGo Home Services can arrange a single cleaning visit rather than a standing schedule if you’d rather try it once. Our guide to getting help with house cleaning covers the options in more detail.
3. Furniture assembly
Flat-pack instructions and power tools are a frustrating combination at any age. Ask whoever builds the bookshelf to take the packaging away too, since flattened boxes are awkward to get out to the bin.
4. Snow shoveling
Covered above, and worth arranging early. When you book a snow removal service, agree a trigger with them, such as coming automatically whenever there’s more than two inches, so you’re not making a phone call during the storm.
5. Dog walking
A dog keeps you company and gets you moving, but daily walks are hard when your knees or the weather aren't cooperating. Keep the walks you enjoy and hand over the bad-weather days and the longer routes.
6. Pet sitting
For travel or a hospital stay, a pet sitter looks after the animals at home rather than putting them in kennels. For an older cat or dog, familiar surroundings are usually far less stressful than boarding.
7. Gardening and landscaping
Mowing, weeding, and pruning are heavy work, and an overgrown yard creates obstacles and hiding places for pests. Landscaping is one of the more popular GoGo Home Services requests.
8. Organizing your space
A professional organizer makes rooms more usable, which usually means fewer things on the floor and less reaching. One rule worth asking them to follow: anything you use daily should sit between waist and shoulder height.
9. Winterizing your home
Insulating windows, sealing drafts, and having the heating serviced keep the house warmer and often lower the energy bill. While someone is out, ask them to change the furnace filter and test the carbon monoxide detector.
10. Furniture moving and removal
Rearranging a room or getting rid of an old couch is the kind of job that causes a back injury. It’s worth paying someone rather than attempting it with a neighbor.
11. Trash and junk removal
Decluttering tends to produce more than the regular collection will take. Sort donations from actual rubbish before the removal service arrives, because most companies will drop usable items at a charity shop if you’ve separated them out.
12. Heavy lifting and loading
Boxes from the attic, holiday decorations, storage bins. If the holiday boxes come down every year, book that before December rather than during it.
13. Packing and unpacking
If you're downsizing or moving closer to family, a moving service can do the lifting and the boxing, so the move doesn't start with an injury.
How do you decide what to hand over first?
The order matters more than the number.
- Start with anything that involves a ladder, a roof, or ice. These are the jobs where the consequence of going wrong is serious rather than inconvenient.
- Then whatever you've been putting off. The chore you keep rescheduling is often the one that has quietly become too hard.
- Then the thing you simply dislike. There's no rule that says you have to earn help by being unable to do something.
- Keep what you enjoy. If you like gardening, keep gardening and hand over the mowing. GoGo Home Services can take just the one job rather than all of them.
How does GoGo Home Services work?
GoGo Home Services covers the jobs on this list through one phone call, so you're not researching and vetting a different company for every task.
- You call and describe what you need. Call GoGoGrandparent on 1 (855) 464-6872. No app, no forms, no comparing quotes online.
- GoGo connects you with a local professional. From a network our home services team screens, rather than whoever comes up first in a search.
- One place for all of it. Repairs, cleaning, dog walking, yard work and the rest. Which services are available depends on your area, so ask what can be covered where you live.
- Family can help arrange it. Once they've been added to the account as someone who can make requests, a son or daughter can arrange and pay for the work from out of state. Home services requests are made over the phone.
If you'd like to get started, you can register here.
Delegation makes aging in place easier
Think about which household jobs take your time or worry you, and start with those. Snow removal, winterizing, and the yard are the ones to arrange now, before the weather decides for you. Each one you hand over buys back a little time and a little senior independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What household tasks can seniors delegate?
Repairs and maintenance, house cleaning, furniture assembly, snow shoveling, dog walking, pet sitting, gardening and landscaping, organizing, winterizing, furniture moving, junk removal, heavy lifting, and packing. All thirteen can be arranged through GoGo Home Services rather than hired separately.
Which household jobs should seniors stop doing themselves?
Anything involving a ladder, a roof, or ice, and anything requiring heavy lifting. Snow shoveling in particular carries real cardiac risk in cold weather, and the American Heart Association advises caution for anyone with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
Is delegating household tasks giving up independence?
No. Handing over the jobs that have become unsafe is usually what allows someone to stay in their own home longer. Senior independence means staying in control of how your life runs, not doing every chore yourself.
What senior home modifications make the biggest difference?
Grab bars, secure handrails, better lighting in stairs and hallways, lever door handles instead of knobs, and removing trip hazards like loose rugs and trailing cords. Most are inexpensive and quick for a handyman to fit.
When should I book seasonal help like snow removal?
Before the season starts. Snow removal services fill up after the first storm, and winterizing work is easier to schedule in early autumn than during a cold snap.
Can a family member arrange home services on my behalf?
Yes, once they've been added to the account as someone who can make requests. They can then arrange and pay for the work from another state. Home services requests are made over the phone.
Does GoGo Home Services cover all these tasks?
GoGo Home Services connects you with local professionals for the kinds of jobs on this list, through a single point of contact on 1 (855) 464-6872. The providers are third-party professionals rather than GoGo staff. Availability varies by area, so ask what can be arranged where you live.
