With chilly weather this month, February is a great month to be Declutter Your Home for a Cause Month, as well as a great excuse for you to encourage your loved one to get rid of some items that are cluttering up his home and need to find a different place to reside. Grab some big garbage bags, and some empty boxes, and get ready to help your loved one declutter their home. You could even work with your loved one and his home care provider one afternoon to get the bulk of it done.

A Cluttered Home is Unhealthy

Did you know that an overly cluttered home is not only unsightly, but it can produce an unsafe area to live in, especially for the elderly? Extreme clutter in the home can negatively affect him mentally and physically.

• Constantly looking at a cluttered environment can increase levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Clutter can be so visually distracting that it reduces a person’s ability to focus and problem-solve appropriately.
• Clutter can create tripping hazards for the elderly, which can then cause other physical injuries.
• Clutter can hide areas that need sanitizing or cleaning, allowing more pests to invade an area or bacteria to form.
• Clutter can isolate a person, making them not want to have guests over.

Declutter for a Cause

Since February is National Declutter for a Cause Month, take into consideration as you and your home care provider help your loved one to declutter about where the items he’s getting rid of may go if they are still in good shape. You might bring them to a non-profit that will sell them at a low cost to raise funds for their organization. You might know of someone who could use some of his items (young adults just starting college often appreciate slightly used home goods).

Five Tips While Decluttering

Having help can make the process easier. Consider asking your loved one’s home care provider to assist by preparing for your arrival with some sorting and labeling.

Set up three boxes or areas for putting items. One should be labeled “toss,” one should be labeled “donate,” and one should be labeled “keep.” The goal is to make the “Keep” pile the smallest but that can require some tough love as items are reviewed.

Don’t try to do it all at once if your loved one has a lot of clutter. Instead, work through the house in sections. You can start as small as a closet or cabinet and then work your way to larger areas like the basement or garage.

Be understanding and empathetic, but also firm. Many items that are kept beyond their usefulness are kept because they have sentimental value. Help your loved one work through those emotions to determine what should stay and what should go.

Set a timer. You can do this per area or item. You might tell your loved one he has 60 seconds to determine if something is a keeper or needs to go. You might also set up a timer for how long you’ll allot to cleaning out the closet.

Celebrate the success you had. As you bring items to be donated or tossed, celebrate and treat yourselves to a coffee or treat. Don’t forget to set up the next declutter event if more is needed.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in College Park GA, please get in touch with the caring staff at Senior Solutions Home Care. (404) 266-8773

Senior Solutions Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Atlanta, Palmetto, Alpharetta, Chattahoochee Hills, Milton, College Park, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Hapeville, Johns Creek, and all of Fulton County.

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seniorsolutionshomecarestaff

Staff at Senior Solutions Home Care

At Senior Solutions, we have refined our care management skills and developed high care standards to ensure the best care for our clients and their families, along with a commitment to training and mentorship for our professional caregivers and office staff.

Over the years, we have expanded, providing service in all 95 counties throughout Tennessee, and we now have a growing presence in Georgia.

Senior Solutions is recognized as a top 5% independent agency and a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These types of awards matter to us because they show growth in our goal of eventually touching a million lives. We’re excited to continue that growth and to touch even more families with our commitment to quality care!

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