Tips For Helping Your Senior Spruce Up Their Place for Spring

A clean home is good for your elderly loved one’s mental health, and it is also important for safety. When clothes, grandkids’ toys, and other items are scattered around the home, they can put your elderly family member in danger of tripping. However, decluttering your senior’s home must be done with care, as they are probably highly attached to many of the items found within the residence. Following are some tips for helping them clean up in a tactful way.

Be sensitive

It’s easy for an outsider to sweep through and deem all of the belongings in a person’s closet or bookshelf worthy of tossing out. However, your senior may see things very differently. Perhaps that jacket that looks shabby was worn on a special occasion, or maybe that tattered book was a gift from their mother. Instead of just swooping in and encouraging them to toss everything, be sensitive. Listen to them when they explain which pieces are important, and only encourage them to throw out the excess items.

Accept slow progress

For a person who has built up a lifetime of memories, decluttering can be a slow process. Don’t expect to see revolutionary changes in one day. Even if the two of you can start by getting one room cleared of junk, senior care professionals note that’s a major improvement. Have patience and realize that this process will likely take weeks or months, not hours. 

Consider bringing in the experts

Home care professionals explain that decluttering a home can put a strain on a child’s relationship with their elderly parent. To cut down on any tension that may occur, it’s often wise to bring in an objective third party such as a professional organizer. In many cases, an elderly individual will respond better to this person’s advice than they would to the advice that their child offers.

Do something good with the discarded items

It’s likely that your elderly family member will feel better about getting rid of personal belongings when they know that they will be put to good use. Don’t just toss out old clothes or books; donate them to a shelter, hospital, or other place where someone else can enjoy them. Your senior will take comfort in knowing that their belongings are going to a new home and will put a smile on someone else’s face.