Having dinner at friends recently, we got talking about our parents and the challenges that go with growing older! One of our friends had been trying, without much success, to help her mom with the huge task of decluttering and letting go of years and years of accumulation.

“I get so impatient, I just want to do it without her”

“I don’t understand why she wants to keep everything”

“Most of it is old and not even very nice. I would just throw it out!”

Children and family members are well meaning, but often do more harm than good. They don’t have the patience to listen to the stories or pore over the memories. They are often too emotionally involved. Ultimately, they just want the job done as quickly as possible.

This is where an Organiser who understands and works with Seniors comes in.

• A professional organizer who works with seniors will have lots of patience. They are willing to listen to the stories, look at the photographs and allow time to reminisce.
• The organizer knows that getting organized will be a slow process. It took a lifetime to accumulate all of the possessions, so it will take time to go through everything.
• The Senior needs an organizer who understands the physical limitations and adjust the length of an organizing session accordingly.
• The professional organizer has to build trust with the senior client. It is hard to have strangers go through your things.
• Senior citizens need to feel they are being treated with courtesy and consideration, and take time to listen to their concerns regarding the downsizing process.
• A professional organizer needs to be able to communicate effectively with the Senior, as well as their family members and any caretakers involved.
• Most importantly, our Mantra should always be “Do NO harm”. We know when to slow down and when to back away

Don’t wait until there is a strained relationship, or emotions run high.

Let the professional organizer do the hard stuff, and you get to do the fun stuff!

Our youngest daughter has just landed her first full time job! Last night we were celebrating over dinner and discussing her immediate future. She would now be earning her own money, paying her own way, and dealing with monthly bills, savings, insurances and other expenses. Would she be earning enough to live on, save and still have fun? Quite daunting when you are just starting out….

It got me thinking about money. How do we make money work for us, rather than the other way around? How much is enough?

All around us, people get into debt, spending more than they should on things they don’t really need. It’s so easy with store accounts and credit cards to overspend and lose track of where our money is going.

It comes down to choices, the choices that we make.

Here are some ideas on how to make your money work for you and have enough:

Be wise with your money

• Be accountable to yourself about your money
• Know where your money is going. Check till slips and bank statements.
• Save, save, save. Always have a “slush fund”, a “rainy day” account, a coin tin to fill up!
• Give and donate a portion. Spread it around and make a difference!

Ways to save

• Keep a minimum balance in your account. Beat the overdraft.
• Use banking loyalty points to pay banking fees. Investigate banks with better terms.
• Keep your credit card in credit, pay the full amount off every month.
• Check, compare and update short term insurance regularly.

Ways to have fun without buying and acquiring stuff

• Invest in small pleasures - A hike and a picnic would be mine
• Invest in local pleasures – Explore right here at home. Take a local holiday.
• Invest in social pleasures – Have friends for a meal, go out for coffee or ice cream

Finally, how much is enough?

Enough is being able to afford your desired lifestyle without getting into debt!

Understanding why overwhelmed Seniors and elderly relatives are disorganised or surrounded by clutter.

A few months back a client, John, called to ask for assistance with his elderly mom. He was moving her to a lovely studio flat in a retirement home. I visited them both in her home to organise the downsizing process.

Every surface, every corner, every cupboard was jam packed with a lifetime’s accumulation of stuff. It was difficult to negotiate the spaces and even harder to see what we would be dealing with.

We cleared and sorted for days. Furniture and prized possessions were redistributed among family and friends. A huge amount was donated to her favourite charities, and quite a lot was simply recycled or tossed.

John was taken aback at how disorganised his mom was, how much stuff there was and how difficult it was for her to let go once we started the process. But his mom is not unique! We see this time and again when assisting Seniors with a move or simple declutter.

It’s important for the family to understand why their overwhelmed parents or elderly relatives are disorganised or surrounded by clutter. Here are 6 reasons to consider:

• Seniors invariably do not move often, and so there is usually alifetime’s accumulation of memories and possessions.
• They worry about memory loss, and feel that having things around them will remind them of the happy times associated with the items.
• Often Seniors have physical limitations. They might tire easily. They might struggle to move furniture or reach high shelves.
• They more than likely grew up in a time where saving and holding onto things washow they managed. Things were kept “just in case”. Items were fixed, rather than discarded.
• Seniors are living for longer, and there could be a fear they will run out of money.And so they hold onto things that could possibly be used at some point.
• They may not know where to donate items they no longer want.

John’s mom is happily settled in her new downsized home. She has a few key treasures, her favourite artwork and her special armchair. We took a lot of digital photos of memorable items that she let go, which were downloaded onto a digital frame for her.

She has everything she needs and everything she holds dear, without all the stuff!

His mom was overwhelmed and emotional at the thought of downsizing and letting go most of her possessions

For more see the following article by Alejandra Roca: The Senior’s Guide for Decluttering and Feeling at Home