As the aging population increases, there is a growing need
for seniors to make decisions about selling their current home and moving to a
smaller, safer environment. For some
that would be a smaller home or apartment, but for others that would be
assisted living or a nursing home.
Either way, downsizing is a monumental task. The burden so overwhelming that it paralyzes
most people.
There are some key ideas that the family needs to keep in
mind when trying to downsize a senior.
First and foremost is that it takes time. It didn't take a few days to collect all of
their worldly possessions. It will take
time …and maybe lots of it to minimize the collections down to an amount that
will fit into a smaller living area. Please be patient and allow plenty of time
to make this happen is crucial to the well being of the senior.
Downsizing is emotional.
There is no doubt about it. It
takes an emotional toll on anyone that tries to help with this task. It is
important to allow significant time to get the task completed. It is recommended that the sorting process
for seniors occurs for roughly 2 hours a day.
This is usually about the maximum amount of time that they can offer and
still be efficient. It is hard not to
get frustrated when there is so much to accomplish and only have a work day
that lasts for a couple of hours.
Pushing a senior beyond their limits is counterproductive and creates
arguments. Or, even have the senior
throwing their hands up, wanting to give the downsizing idea up.
If you are assisting a senior in downsizing their
belongings, it is a great idea to find similar collections that can be narrowed
down without the senior's help. So if a
box of old schoolwork for grown children is opened up and the decision is made
to scan them onto the computer for posterity, then anytime there is another box
like that, the course of action is already understood. This eliminates hours of
sitting and sorting. This is a wonderful
time saver for the senior and their helpers.
It is very important to have a plan when attempting to
downsize. Random sorting rarely produces
the results that are desired, and causes more problems than satisfactory
results. Going from room to room is a
good idea that way the whole house is not torn up at once. Let’s face it most
seniors do not like disruptions in their daily routines. So set small,
achievable goals for each day. The
success of achievement is great and may spur more activity, but most days it
will be just enough.
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