The Senior’s Guide for Decluttering and Feeling at Home
https://www.redfin.com/blog/senior-guide-for-decluttering/
Adjusting to life in a retirement home can be tough – it involves big changes, like leaving behind a home and all the memories it contains, as well as the feeling of losing a measure of freedom. Psychologists say that even positive changes can be as hard to adapt to as negative ones are, but you can help your loved one make a smooth transition.
Here’s how.
Preparing Your Loved One – and Yourself – for a Move to a Retirement Home
Before your parent, family member or friend moves into a retirement home or assisted-living facility, everyone involved needs to know what to expect. Sharing the timetable with your loved one can take some of the uncertainty away, so make sure that everyone involved knows when to start packing, when the move will occur, and when you’ll come to your loved one’s new home to help with the transition.
Also, keep in mind:
This type of move can involve significant downsizing that requires you to put your organizational skills to the test.
Your loved one may have mixed feelings about the move, and he or she may be reluctant to make such a big change.
Your attitude about the process, and the way you handle the situation, can have a big impact on how easy (or how difficult) it is on your loved one.
Set Firm Dates
Create a calendar to share with your loved one and others involved in the move. Pick dates for:
Downsizing and packing
Charity pick-ups, a garage or estate sale, or trash pick-up
Booking a moving truck or asking friends and family come to help
Moving day
Unpacking boxes and setting up the new place
Decluttering and Downsizing
Packing is stressful no matter how you look at it. Take it slowly (and start early, if that’s what it takes) to make things easier on your parent, friend or family member. Remember that your loved one’s participation can help him or her feel in control, which can minimize anxiety and quell nervousness about the big move – but also remember that this is a big job, and too much at once can be overwhelming. Try to keep packing, sorting and organizing confined to less than a couple of hours per day, and make it a sociable experience. If your loved one wants to stop and reminisce, join in; it’s not going to hurt anything.
If the person who’s moving has a lot of stuff (furniture, keepsakes, and other things that can’t come along), there’s a big decision on the horizon. He or she will have to decide whether to put everything in storage, hold a yard sale, or divide items between family members. This should definitely be your loved one’s decision – we’re talking about his or her belongings, not yours (think about how you’d feel if someone suddenly took the reins and dictated what was going to happen to your stuff).
Together, you can categorize each item and decide what your family member, parent or friend will take, store, donate or sell. Storage may be the best option, at least psychologically speaking, for your loved one. He or she still owns the furniture, mementos and other items, which can make adjusting to the retirement home that much easier.
You can usually get rid of old and useless items, like old bills and paperwork that’s no longer necessary, but be on the lookout for important documents that you and your loved one must keep, such as:
Birth certificates
Deeds
Diplomas and degrees
Financial documents
Medical records
Military records
Passports
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