Loving Support, a Hand to Hold: Helping a Parent Downsize
Downsizing can be a mixed blessing for seniors. On one hand, it’s an emotionally-charged experience for someone trying to eliminate belongings to which they may be deeply attached. On the other hand, it’s a chance to start a new life in a smaller space with fewer physical attachments, an overall positive change. Having fewer financial- and maintenance-related responsibilities will allow you to focus more on your happiness and less on your home. For those who find downsizing a difficult idea to accept, it’s important that they approach it methodically, patiently and with the loving support of an understanding caregiver. Here are a few tips for caregivers who can help make this life-changing event a positive one.
A new home
Of course, the first step in successfully downsizing your parent’s life is to find the right home in terms of size and location. Carefully review home prices in the area your parent wants to live, and make sure your search includes properties that address any mobility needs, memory issues or caregiving requirements. Finding the right house, the one that’s right for your golden years, simplifies the downsizing process, and may help an older adult feel better about the decision to leave their home of many years.
Begin ASAP
It’s best to begin the decluttering process as soon as the decision to downsize has been made. Establish a plan outlining what rooms you’ll begin with and how you’ll carry out the work of downsizing. Remember, it’s important to be organized and stick to your plan throughout the entire process. Don’t rush it. Take your time, and stop for breaks whenever necessary. Remember, this is likely to be an emotionally-fraught experience for your parent, so easy does it.
Ease into it
Avoid diving into the thick of it all right away. Instead, start with easier, less densely-populated rooms to avoid overwhelming a senior who may need some time getting used to such a radical and sudden change. Consider beginning with linen closets or the laundry room, spaces with fewer belongings and easier decisions to be made. From there, you can move on to the primary rooms, such as the bedrooms, living room, dining area and kitchen, which tend to house the larger, most impactful belongings. As you decide how to dispose of things like couches, coffee tables and beds, bear in mind the measurements of your new home’s rooms and what will fit and what will not.
Decision-making
As you go room by room, make separate piles (or lists) of what will be kept, donated and gotten rid of. It’s also important to know what to do with larger objects your parent wants to keep but don’t yet have room for. If there’s insufficient storage space in your parent’s new home (and no accommodating friend or relative to help), check out the best deals on renting storage space nearby until you’ve made final arrangements. The overall average price of a self-storage unit in Orlando, Florida, over the past six months was $86.72. It should go without saying, but be sure to pack everything carefully. Opt for sturdy boxes so you know your parent’s belongings are secure. You can get moving supplies and boxes through local moving companies. Kits start as low as $261 for a three to four bedroom household.
Call a pro
If your parent finds the whole process too much to bear, it might be worthwhile to call in a senior move manager, an expert who understands how difficult it can be for an elderly person to get rid of familiar belongings that hold a lifetime of memories. Most communities have a company that specializes in moving seniors. They can assist with the work of downsizing, pack everything carefully and move your parent without incident.
Downsizing should be a liberating experience for your parent, but it’s not necessarily an easy one. As caregiver, you’re in an ideal position to make it a smooth transition, to hold a parent’s hands and help make the difficult decisions about what can be kept and what should be thrown out or donated.
