Downsizing for seniors
I remember talking about downsizing for seniors with my friend Mary and how difficult it was for me as I was going through the process. She had some sage advice and the most helpful thing she said was that, “In the end all it all boiled down to fits into a shoe box.” I wish I had this, "Downsizing for Seniors" advice before I moved, because my experience was not exactly what I would call pleasant. In fact, it was so bad that it inspired me to write this article to help Elderly Elders downsize. I decided not to rid myself of anything before my move. I took it all with me; all but the kitchen sink. (Luckily that was nailed down). The poor movers had to find a way to pry all of my possessions into my much smaller apartment. By the time they left on moving day there was a narrow path from the bathroom to the kitchen to the front door. To make a long story short, it took over a year for me to process every box and to get rid of the things I just didn’t need. That was valuable time I could have been spending with my friends or family, such a waste. I know now that there are people that can help. They are called Move Consultants and they can talk Downsizing for Seniors and discuss your needs and wishes. They can show you a better way so you won’t waste so much time after your move. You can think of it like removing a bandage. You can rip it off quickly and be done with it, or you can peel it off slowly like I did. The final choice will always be yours of course. I’ve also got some suggestions and tips for you to consider before you get into action and I wish you the very best in your efforts. There are many reasons for downsizing. Some of us have lost a spouse and don’t need the extra space then there are some that can’t afford to pay for the higher cost of taxes or hydro or even the upkeep of their homes. There are also those of us that may need the equity in their homes to reduce their debt or to purchase a new or smaller home or even to move into a retirement community. There are also those of us that just want to reduce the excess clutter that has accumulated through the decades of living. It's never too early so the sooner you start the downsizing process the better. You've got the collection of a lifetime to review and decide upon so the luxury of time is your best friend to use in a thoughtful way. What ever the reasons for downsizing for seniors, you need a clear picture of what the next phase will look like and decide exactly what you will need. What does your new place look like? How big is it? What will fit? Measure the new space if you can so you’ll have a better idea of how your things will fit. Start with the larger items like your furniture and see how much space remains for your smaller things. Always bare in mind the importance of getting rid of as much as possible. This will make the move so much simpler for you. Also, be kind to yourself in the process and work on this in small doses of time. A couple of hours a day would be a good start so you will be able to recall the cherished memories of each article and relive them. Laugh, cry, sigh, enjoy these moments then move on. Set aside the items you just can't decide upon. Make sure you find a new home where you’ll be happy with your neighbourhood and the community. What is also important is the layout of your new place. If you need spare room for frequent guests you can choose a second bedroom or hide a bed would suffice in the living room. Think about this one for a minute, this is a double edged sword. Some may see the smaller space as a blessing because there won't be room for company, while others would miss having the space for visitors. If you start in a room that you think might be easier to do, you'll find the rest of this chore to be less overwhelming. If you have kids or good friends that may have an eye on anything you want to get rid of, this would be a good time to pass them on. This will also be a time of sharing your cherished memories. If it's good enough for Jerry Seinfeld to re-gift his things, it's okay for the rest of us too, so if you want to wrap up some things for gifts I say go for it. Don't think of these things as used, think of them as vintage. This is downsizing for seniors and the recipients will only love us more for thinking about them.You'll find that you own a lot more than you first thought so keep a detailed list of what you've got and where it's going. This will be your best aid when the time comes to move. I have one last word of advice for when downsizing for seniors, and that is to wait until everything is done before you start to review your family photos. You know you won't need them all and passing them along will be time consuming. Have the family come over for dinner and spend the evening going through them. You'd be surprised how interested they will be and how they will want to know more about when these photos were taken and who is in each shot. That could take some time and you want to enjoy that so wait till you've got the luxury of time to do this. That's it in a nutshell, my dear Elders. Stay tuned for my next installment on De-cluttering for Elderly Elders. By Yvonne Kelly BACK to Senior Health articles LEAVE Downsizing for seniors article and go to Home Page |
