Essential Tips: Decluttering and Downsizing for Seniors
Decluttering and downsizing for seniors, and simplifying spaces, are wonderful ideas for in-home care patients and those seniors who want to age in place. A little strategic planning can help enhance the current home and make it a safe, new home for everyone. Although it may seem like a significant task at first, especially for adult children and caregivers, there are many proven downsizing and decluttering tips that will make for a smooth transition. In this article, you will find strategies and essential tips for decluttering and downsizing spaces for those who want to age in place.
Key Takeaways
- Simplifying living spaces can greatly enhance senior well-being by reducing clutter-related stressors and promoting safety.
- Prioritizing sentimental items and engaging family members in the downsizing process can make it more manageable and emotionally rewarding for seniors.
- Adopting practical organizational strategies and seeking assistance from professional organizers or loved ones can streamline the decluttering journey for seniors aiming to embrace a more minimalist lifestyle.
Practical Tips: Decluttering and Downsizing for Seniors
There comes a time in life when we all will need to consider decluttering and downsizing for seniors — whether it’s our aging parents, other loved ones, or even ourselves. I’ve been there and done that with my own parents.
You might need to consider whether a retirement community or senior living community is a better option than a large home. Or maybe a smaller house would be better than the old home where the senior has been living.
You might need to consider looking at storage facilities for “extra stuff,” hiring senior move managers to help with an organizing and decluttering project, or getting professional help to convince the senior that a fresh start would be best.
If you are a caregiver, you will likely find that these projects can be stressful. Remember to take good care of yourself because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
If you are a senior citizen who is looking to downsize and declutter, please be sure to take your time and plan carefully. You do not want to hurt yourself.
Below, you will find essential tips to consider when decluttering and downsizing for seniors. It may not be an easy process, but these tips will help!
Set Goals and Visualize the Results
It may seem odd that setting goals and visualizing the results are great decluttering tips, but there’s a very logical reason for it. Part of creating goals is a plan of how to accomplish them, and this plan creates a valuable roadmap.
Even if goal setting seems like a challenge, you can receive help from a trusted friend, family members, church volunteers, or professional organizers. You may also have in-home care helpers who can support you.
Visualize a more minimalist lifestyle where everything has a “place” and nothing is sitting around causing a safety hazard. Hallways are free of boxes and “stuff” and you can move through rooms safely.
Planning and setting goals are worth the effort, as it will help you simplify and organize your space because:
- It’s a tool to help you organize your thoughts and complete the task efficiently.
- It helps you visualize in your mind what you can accomplish, providing a sense of motivation.
- If you feel discouraged, it allows you to see the bigger picture.
- Short-term goal setting allows you to measure progress toward your big picture.
Goal setting and planning make a far more effective system than working aimlessly through clutter.
Tackle One Area at a Time
It’s important to work on one area at a time. Start with a smaller space, such as a closet or a single room. Develop achievable goals so you can see your progress frequently. Doing so will allow you to work more quickly and efficiently because:
- You are less distracted when you aren’t moving from place to place.
- You can see the results immediately.
- It helps you recognize exactly how much you got done.
- It’s less stressful and overwhelming.
- It’s a more organized and systematic method of working.
Focusing on one area at a time will ultimately help the process be less daunting. It’s also rewarding as you can visibly see your continuing success. Ask your helpers to keep you focused and concentrated on the task-at-hand.
Develop Categorizing Systems
While downsizing and simplifying, it’s essential to implement categorizing systems for items that you really want to keep. It can be an emotional process to go down memory lane but think about the end results and how much better life will be when things are more organized.
Put all your important documents together; save your sentimental items in one place together; put old photos in a safe place together or a photo album; collect family heirlooms and keep them in a safe place.
There are multiple benefits of having a categorizing system throughout your home, which include:
- You will know where everything is located.
- There is less messiness and disorganization about your home.
- It makes it easier for other people to offer you assistance.
- An organized system makes it easier to keep the home decluttered moving forward.
- It creates additional space for anything else you need.
- You will gain peace of mind knowing that you will always be able to locate what you need.
You can have a categorizing system for your kitchen, pantry, closets, dressers, and basically anywhere else in your house! The best part is that you can create a method that specifically works best for you.
Donate or Throw Out Items You No Longer Need or Use
Discarding objects you no longer need is a very basic principle in the decluttering process, but an effective one to downsize and organize a space. Throw away unnecessary items such as old medications, unused household items, and old magazines or newspapers. Let go of unwanted items that may be appreciated by other people. Give items to local charities to distribute.
The advantages of donating or throwing out items are:
- It makes the environment more safe and convenient for in-home care support personnel.
- By donating, you may be helping someone who needs the item.
- Less clutter will make the space better and safer for friends, family, other visitors, and even medical emergency staff.
- It creates extra room in the house for moving around safely.
- It helps you easily locate the items you truly need.
An easy way to achieve this task is to sort items into three groups: 1. Keep, 2. Donate, and 3. Throw Away. It will feel rewarding to clear the house of stuff that has been laying around collecting dust, plus it helps you reach your overall goal.
Rearrange to Create Extra Space
Not everything will be donated or discarded, and there will be many items that need to stay in the home. When this is the case, and if you need to downsize to a smaller home, ask your family or friends to help you rearrange furniture and cultivate space. This can be done by:
- Rearranging furniture, keeping only that which is necessary.
- Organizing surfaces and making sure everything has a place.
- Putting related items in boxes or bins.
- Installing bookshelves or other closet shelves for more space.
- Buying extra cabinets or trunks.
- Reorganizing drawers and closet space.
- Wisely using room that was created through the process.
- If feasible, using an outdoor shed to store important items.
It’s essential to consider all options that will add convenience to your home, and help it feel more comfortable by opening up potential space. You may want to consider a storage unit if you still need more space after you have let go of things you don’t really need.
Organize Memories You Want to Keep
Especially when decluttering and downsizing for seniors who may be moving in with you, there will be many collectible memories that are worth keeping. In order to make it more accessible and worthwhile, the memories can be kept and organized by:
- Creating a categorizing system, as discussed above.
- Consider making scrapbooks, quilts, or other things with these items.
- Having a decluttered room in the home dedicated to memories.
- Having a dedicated space or surface just for collectibles.
- Creating a photo or memory wall.
- Putting memories in a closet with labeled boxes or bins.
It is important and beneficial to have reminders of wonderful memories throughout the home. When those memories are organized and easily accessible, it will allow for more enjoyment. Family members should be involved with elderly parents who are trying to organize their memories. It will be a special time for everyone.
Other Essential Tips to Consider
When decluttering and downsizing for seniors, it’s essential to consider a few other issues. This can be a difficult process for older people — be mindful and compassionate toward them.
Don’t allow older people to do any heavy lifting. Make sure there are competent and willing people to help with the process of downsizing.
Be sure to consider the quality of life for an aging parent when you are going through personal belongings. Things may seem inconsequential to you, but they may have significant sentimental value to your parents.
Allow the senior citizen to share in the decision-making process while decluttering and organizing. They need to have easy access to things that are important to them. They may have an emotional attachment to personal items that seem like a waste of space to you.
While decluttering and downsizing for seniors, be sure to consider home maintenance plans for the future. Once a new space is established, you’ll want to ensure that it remains safe and organized.
Remember, you are looking at a lifetime’s worth of memories for seniors, and while there are many benefits of downsizing, organizing, and/or decluttering, you have not lived in the shoes of the senior citizen. Thus, you may not understand why they want to keep that awful looking bronze gorilla statue!
Final Thoughts
For older adults who receive in-home care or want to age in place, there are many options to simplify and declutter the home. I hope you will consider these essential tips to help make the process easier and less traumatic for everyone. By implementing these strategies, the home will quickly become more spacious, safe, and organized for everyone.
If you feel overwhelmed, take a break and spend some time with friends who support you. Having someone there through the process is useful for productivity, motivation, and mental well-being.
Make sure you plan plenty of time for the project — I know from experience it can take much longer than anticipated!
You may enjoy these Related Articles about caring for seniors:
- 21 Simple Ways to Make Home Safe for Senior Citizens
- 42+ Best Indoor Activities for Senior Citizens
- 79 Uplifting Quotes About Caring for Elderly Parents
Love to ALL! ~ Susan
