Family and Home Care Helping a Senior Downsize
Seniors may want to age in place and for the most part, it’s a great choice especially when they have help or home care. Unfortunately, a senior may need to downsize or even just get rid of things the longer they age in place. This is something that home care can help with, but it is also something you as the adult child of a senior can do. But what is the best way to help your loved one downsize? How can home care support a senior throughout this process? Here are things you need to know about a senior downsizing.
Commit to the Home
Here is the thing wherever your senior loved one lives, they need to be committed. This means they have to want to live where they are or they have to want to move to a new place to age well. Home care can help determine what your loved one needs by evaluating their quality of life. If home care thinks the home is unmanageable even when they are there to help, it may be in your loved one’s best interest to move somewhere smaller, but they need to be committed to this idea. When they are committed it makes going through things and throwing away things much easier and it’s going to be their idea in the end.
Go Through All Items
As a senior gets older they may have collected tons of things throughout the years. This can take time to go through. However, with the help of home care, a senior can easily go through everything. Home care can set aside a few minutes every day and pull out things for your loved one to go through. They can also help arrange for all the stuff to go to the dump or even help a senior donate these things. If your senior has the energy and time they may want to set up a garage sale to see if anyone in their community wants any of their stuff. It’s time to encourage your loved one to go through all of their items and get rid of things to help them downsize even if they plan to stay in the same house.
Leave Things to Family
Your senior loved one may have family heirlooms or antiques they want to pass down to the next generation. As they are going through things with home care this is a good time to pass on those items. They may even need to plan a will for when they pass on. This can all be done and will help families stay connected. If your loved one wants certain family members to have specific items they either need to give the items to the right person or they need to write a will. Now is the best time to do it and it will help them sort through things.
Look at the House Layout
If a senior plans to stay in their home they need to arrange the place how they must use it. They may not use specific rooms or they may not use specific items because they are in the way or hard to use. It’s time to get rid of the unused couches or tables and utilize the rooms in the way that makes the most sense.