Tips for Helping Your Aging Loved One Declutter Their Home

Part of the aging process includes collecting memories and trinkets from special moments in our lives. Sometimes as the collections build up they end up looking like clutter. Helping your aging loved ones declutter makes the home safer while creating room for new items.

We have rounded up the top tips for helping your aging loved ones declutter their homes.

Organize a Garage Sale

Garage sales are a great way to get rid of clutter and make some cash on the side. With adequate planning and preparation, you can turn an otherwise mundane cleaning activity into a lively occasion.

For senior citizens, seeing other people show interest in and paying for items they’ve held dear makes it easier to let go. The thought that someone else will attach the same value to items they’ve had for a lifetime is a comforting thought.

Have your close friends and family attend the garage sale and while at it, bring clutter of their own they’d like to get rid of.

Sort Items According to Their Respective Value

When helping your elderly loved ones declutter, start with items deemed to hold the least sentimental value. This allows you to quickly sift through items and identify family heirlooms you’d want to hang onto or donate to a museum in the case of historical items.

The sorting process also provides an opportunity to reminisce on whatever fond memories may be attached to specific items. It also allows your loved one to share preferences for who should inherit items of value.

Involve the Whole Family

When going through your elder loved one’s posessions, it may be nice to involve key family members so you can all walk down memory lane together. It also ensures family members can point out items that may be useful in their own homes before they are sold or discarded.

Letting go has never been easy but it is an important part of being human nonetheless. By helping your elderly loved ones declutter, you’re ensuring their safety and comfort. Decluttering has also been associated with reduced feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression among older citizens.

Once your aging loved one’s home has been decluttered, you can enlist the assistance of a certified aid through Caring Home Care’s nurse registry that can help to maintain a safe and sterile environment. Aside from helping with daily activities such as cleaning, an aid can also provide a friendly face when your loved one needs it most thus helping to create new memories in the process.