Are they happy memories or household hazards? Maybe this would be a good time to help your senior loved ones clear out the clutter and make room to enjoy the truly precious things and their memories.
A lifetime of possessions combined with stacks of magazines, newspapers and financial statements can easily overwhelm seniors and put them at risk for fires, falls and infestations.
Primary clutter zones are the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, stairways and basements. Freezers containing expired food; medicine cabinets with old prescriptions causing confusion; storing magazines and papers under the bed creating a fire hazard; and using the basement as a catch-
If you’ve noticed these characteristics in their home, it’s another sign of clutter creep: piles of mail and unpaid bills, difficulty walking safely through the home, old food in the refrigerator, jammed closets and drawers, the results of compulsive shopping, or difficulty deciding whether to discard an item and becoming frustrated with the effort to organize.
Getting rid of stuff is actually a two-step process that includes sorting and deciding on the one hand and disposing on the other. It may be the right thing to do, but convincing seniors can be a challenge. After all, at one time these possessions meant something to them.
Here are some strategies provided through Home Instead Senior Care:
1 - Arrange and Cheer Small Victories: You’re helping your senior loved one to clear off a table. Celebrate that accomplishment together.
2 - Conduct an “Experiment”:
3 - Gently Approach the Idea of Health and Safety: Remind your loved ones that too much clutter can actually keep them from being safe in their own homes, which could jeopardize their ability to stay at home. For many seniors being able to remain at home is paramount. Help them anyway you can to make them feel secure at home.
4 - Draft an Agreement: Make an agreement that you’ll box up unused clothing and tools. Carefully list what is in the box and track it for six months. If your loved one has either forgotten about the box or has not needed the items in it during that time, suggest that he or she donate it to charity.
5 - Consider the Control Issue: Clutter is all about control, but so is being the one to decide where stuff goes. Remind your loved one that they can make that decision before someone else has to. Work to empower them to make that decision for themselves.
There are numerous resources to find additional organizing help for the elderly. A list containing the names of organizations with contact information can be obtained by calling Home Instead Senior Care at (727) 845-5819 or to their web site at www.homeinstead.com/
