'I thought I just wasn't capable': Edmontonian helps keep homes clean for those with disabilities

Helping people with disabilities around the home One Edmonton woman is helping people who need it most to keep up with chores around the house. Joe Scarpelli explains.

Keeping up with chores around the house can be a challenge, but for people living with disabilities or mental illness, it can be nearly impossible.

For years, Kelly Bartley had undiagnosed anxiety and ADHD. After a diagnosis this year, she's been able to realize that it was her mental illness, not lack of work ethic, that held her back from household chores.

"I couldn't get out of bed and I hated cleaning, I hated dishes," she told CTV News Edmonton. "I hated doing my laundry and it would all just pile up and it just made me feel so much worse.

"I realized when I got better that having a clean environment made me feel a lot better," Bartley said. "I thought I just wasn't capable of doing it."

"When I started getting better and medicated and more motivated to things, I was like, 'There's probably a ton of people out there living that exact same way, whether they know it or not, and I could probably do something to help it,'" Bartley added.

So when Bartley found herself with some extra time and in need of a new hobby, she put out an advertisement online: offering free cleaning services for seniors and people with physical disabilities or mental illnesses.

"You walk in and feel gross, you feel lazy," Bartley said. "You're like, it's my fault that it's like this, even if it's not your fault that you just can't do it.

"A dirty space or an uncomfortable space is not good for your mental health. It can bring you down. Having a space where you are comfortable and you are happy in, can only help."

Laura Beaudin, has been unable to walk since 2009. She has multiple sclerosis and has been diagnosed with ADHD.

She always wants her home to be more organized than it is, but she can't always do something about it.

"I have a very scattered brain," she added. "I have a lot of trouble focusing to get things put in their place."

Beaudin described how her ADHD can keep her from putting things into drawers or cabinets.

"(I) have trouble putting things out of sight because out of sight is out of mind," she said. "In my situation, I tend to just stack everything on a desk or on a table and different places like that."

She was thrilled to receive help from Bartley.

"I can see it (the disorganization)," Beaudin said. "It bothers me to look at it, but how do I make it better, I can't really process that."

Bartley received an overwhelming response to her online advertisement.

"I expected two or three people," Bartley said. "I had about 45 requests in the first week.

"It got a lot bigger than I thought it would," she added. "I am making my way down that list."

Now, she's looking for volunteers to help more people keep a tidy home.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," Bartley said. "There's a huge, huge difference when it a living space) is finally clean."