3 Reasons Seniors Should Declutter

In the last 50 years, most American homes have tripled in size with each one accumulating an average of 300,000 items. As time passes and families warm these homes with loving moments and touching memories, we become connected to each item in our possession over the years.

Decluttering, sorting and organizing your belongings allows you to evaluate your property for the next set of moments and memories you will make. For seniors in particular, this process may be a necessity for one of the three reasons this article highlights.

• Mobility - Reducing clutter can create more space and reduce the probability of dangerous falls, or tripping incidents that lead to a loss of mobility. In other cases, decluttering can be helpful to you if you are experiencing limited mobility allowing for easier movement throughout the home. 

• Downsizing - For seniors moving to a smaller space because of need or want, decluttering is an inevitable process that will help you plan for your new right-sized space. To learn more about preparing to downsize read How to Declutter with Liquidation in Mind. 

• Aging in Place - Decluttering to prepare for a new stage in life can give you more space for useful renovations or any mobility related home modifications. According to a recent study, we spend close to 3,680 hours searching for misplaced items in our lifetime and lose nine items daily. If you or someone you love suffers from memory impairment, decluttering can make aging-in-place a more enjoyable less confusing experience. 

Here are a few steps to begin decluttering as featured in Decluttering: How to “Let it Go!”

• Decide what items are NEEDED for living safely or comfortably. This includes necessary items such as a bed, place for clothes, eating utensils, and so forth.

• Keep items we LOVE. These are meaningful items that define us as individuals.

• Choose from what we WANT from the remaining possessions and decide which are most important.

• Establish action for selling items of monetary value, gifting those of sentimental value, then donating or disposing of the rest.

If decluttering is a larger undertaking than you can handle it may be time to consider hiring a professional. Caring Transitions specializes in helping seniors and their families downsize, declutter, sort and organize.

Sources

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/clutter-stats/

http://www.caringtransitions.com/blog/ID/1129134/How-to-Declutter-with-Liquidation-in-Mind

http://www.caringtransitions.com/blog/ID/737/Decluttering-How-to-Let-it-Go