Downsizing can be an extremely beneficial process for your elderly loved one. Reducing the belongings that they have and transitioning them into a smaller home can help them to live more comfortably, enjoy more of their home and reduce the risk of injury due to mobility or balance issues that make certain features dangers, and even be closer to you and the rest of your family. Despite all of these benefits, downsizing can be a stressful and emotionally difficult process for your parent. Helping them through it can make it smoother for all of you and guide them toward enjoying this new chapter of their life more.
- Break up the task. Rather than trying to take on the entire house as one project, break it up into smaller chunks. This makes the endeavor far less intimidating and can help your loved one to feel less stressed. It also helps them to achieve moments of accomplishment as they finish rooms or specific tasks, giving them a boost and helping them to stay motivated as they keep going.
- Make decisions clear. Getting rid of belongings is a fundamental element of downsizing, but also often the most difficult. Your parent likely sees memories and emotions in everything, so getting rid of items can be hard. If they are struggling with functional decline or memory loss, this can make the process even more difficult. Help to reduce this challenge by streamlining and simplifying decisions. Rather than asking them to choose the items out of a category that they want, go for “yes or no” inquiries.
- Keep in mind their new home. As you are going through the process of selecting items, keep reminding your parent about their new home and what will conceivably fit in there. That will help them to understand how much they need to eliminate .
- Appeal to their logic and emotions. Your parent will need to make decisions about items that are still useful and that they are emotionally attached to. This can be very challenging for them. Help them to get through these decisions by appealing to their logic and their emotions. Help them to recognize that they no longer need these items and that they do not use them. Then help them to see that others would benefit from them. Whether this is giving them to friends, passing them along to family members, donating them, or even selling them, this can help them to feel better about letting go of the items.
If you have been looking for ways to boost your elderly loved one’s quality of life as they age in place, starting senior care for them might be the ideal solution. A senior home care services provider can be there with your elderly loved one on a customized schedule that ensures that they get all of the care, support, assistance, and encouragement that they need while also keeping you at the forefront of their care routine. The highly personalized services of such a care provider are tailored not just toward their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also their personality, goals, and preferences. This means that your loved one can stay safe, healthy, comfortable, and happy while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, fulfilling, and independent as possible as they age in place. As a family caregiver this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that your elderly loved one is getting everything that they need both when you are able to be with them and when you are not. If your parent is going through a challenging situation such as downsizing, the support and care of a care provider can help them to handle this situation more effectively. This can include companionship and emotional support to help them deal with what they are going through as well as care and transportation to enjoy an activity or outing while you are handling the actual move itself so that your parent stays safe and comfortable during the process.
If you are considering senior care in Crestline, OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161. Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/signs-time-downsize/story?id=24510985
http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/info-08-2011/retirement-downsizing.html
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