Being in the elder care industry, I often find that seniors tend to hoard items they have collected during the winter months.  Or, if they are like my grandmother, they have been saving trinkets and valuables since they day they were born. As seniors age, managing household clutter can be a very challenging prospect, especially for caregivers and family members.  Sons and daughters don’t want to offend their parents by forcing mom or dad to throw stuff away, or to give it to charity, and hired help can often find the clutter a daunting organization task, especially when there is no place to put anything.  For those suffering from packrat-itis, here are a few suggestions to help with upcoming spring cleaning projects:

• Don’t try to convince mom or dad on your own.  Bring in a professional to educate your folks on why hoarding is not healthy, can be a fire risk, and can even help seniors reminisce about the past, in effect building deeper relationships with their loved ones.  Such helpers can be found in your local phone book or even through area senior agencies, including your local Area Agency on Aging.  Or, if you’re looking for a company that specializes in organization, you may want to try Jo’s Cleaning & Organizing Services of Southeast Michigan.  Their website is www.josorganizing.com.

• And for those who are looking to move mom or dad from their home into a senior living community, no one does it better than Simplify It, a company that specializes in organizing and reducing one’s stuff, and then helping with the move to the new location by bringing along appropriate things to help the senior acclimate to their new surroundings.  They’ll even help with donation pick-up and coordination of the leftovers so that it finds a new home.  You can contact Theresa Brune of Simplify It by calling (24 417-4312 or visiting their website.

• If using an in-home non-medical care company, like Home Instead Senior Care, work with your caregiver and local office on how they can convince mom or dad to sort though their belongings to see what is really worth keeping or letting go of.  Because it is an outside party, it will relieve you of the stress and can often provide your parent with a project.  Instead of calling it going through their junk, you cold rephrase it as treasure hunting for things from the past.  You’d be surprised how far different words work with older folks.

• Tossing out some of that old stuff may make some seniors feel uneasy.  Why not solicit the help of an on-line auction professional to help clear the clutter but make a few bucks at the same time?  Charles Wickins’ business, Online Sales of Michigan, specializes in sorting through people’s clutter to find hidden treasures to sell them on ebay.  It is far less work than a garage sale, doesn’t require trashing the past, and can actually feel fulfilling knowing that your loved one’s stuff is becoming someone else’s treasure.  Online Sales of Michigan helps their clients select appropriate items for sale, lists and sells the items on ebay, and even collects payment and ships the items, all for a nominal percentage of the final sale price.  Wickens provides free consultations for those who have an interest in living an uncluttered life, and is available to travel throughout the country to help your family dejunk this spring.  Learn more by calling 248-730-2400 or visiting his website at www.englishauctioneer.com.

The businesses listed above are all members of quality-assured organizations such as the Troy Chamber of Commerce and SCAN (Senior Coordinating Aging Network of Oakland County, Michigan).  When contacting these businesses, please tell them you found their info on our blogs! Have a great weekend everyone.

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