Sometimes no amount of organization or neatness is going to camouflage the presence of just too much stuff, and part of the idea of aging in place well is achieving a balance with our possessions.
Helping people have an accessible home
Aside from getting into and navigating the inside of a home which are topics for other posts, what about someone attempting to age in place with too much stuff and disorganization or clutter in their living space? The time for spring cleaning is nearly here, so this is a great time to focus on this subject.
In addition to helping people with physical improvements or modifications to their homes so that they can remain living in them safely on a long-term basis, we can help them by beginning to do something about all of the stuff that all seem to have accumulated over the years. We literally have a lifetime of memories and other items that we have managed to retain over the years, with some people having retained far more than others.
Adding clarity to a difficult situation
One of the chief reasons that people choose to age in place, in addition to really liking their homes and having a favorable financial position in them is that they are overwhelmed by the idea of having to sort through or move all of the stuff they have retained.
Many people feel totally overwhelmed by the prospects of even starting such a monumental undertaking as beginning to do something with all of the keepsakes and mementos, out-of-style clothing, broken appliances, and so many other items they have accumulated in their lifetime.
While we might feel that we have the stamina, the determination, the take-no-prisoners attitude, or the relentless that it might take to begin doing this sorting and reduction process, we may find that this is a lot more than we had originally imagined it to be. If we feel that this is something we want to do – and not all of us are destined for this – practicing with our own items might be a great way to approach this service. We want to help others, but they must be receptive to our assistance.
Getting started organizing
Remember that old adage about a place for everything and everything in its place? Well, even if everything is put away – and that’s a huge “if” for most people – the chances are big that there’s just too much stuff to be dealing with in any reasonable way. Do we really have enough places to put everything, or do we just have too much stuff? This situation is a fairly universal one.
Whether everything is put away where it belongs or not is an issue, but the sheer volume of stuff that we or our clients maintain is the larger issue. We can find additional storage places perhaps or bring in more cabinets and furniture with storage areas in them, but at some point, there need to be more things leaving the home than coming in or being allowed to remain.
There are many paid organizational services we can perform for our clients, but it does take an even-handedness and objective approach. We are dealing with a highly sensitive, emotionally-charged area of people’s lives, so we much approach it very professionally and respectfully.