Downsizing with Dignity

There may come a time in the life of your senior loved one when they face the need to downsize. Whether moving into a smaller home, an assisted living facility, or in with you…downsizing may seem a daunting task. Even the need to modify an existing home in order to make it safer or to accommodate equipment like wheelchairs can mean treasured furniture and other items have to be removed from the home.

Downsizing can be stressful and having to part with some possessions is likely to cause additional upset for seniors. After all, favorite books, furniture and even knick-knacks often remind us who we are and where we have been – and seniors have spent a lifetime collecting them. Many things invoke memories of a special person or place in time, which is why parting with some items can be painful.

No matter the circumstances, it is possible for seniors to downsize with dignity. There are ways you can help to lessen the stress, make the transition smooth and even create special memories in the process.

Tips for the family:

• Discuss downsizing in advance. Help your loved one decide which things to keep and what to let go. Early planning eliminates the stress of last-minute plans and allows the senior time to get used to the idea of parting with special things.
• Enlist family members of all ages. Encourage them to request items special to them. Your elderly loved one will know when passing things down through the family that their treasures will continue to be treasured!
• Take pictures of the senior’s home, paying special attention to their favorite things. Spend time together arranging the photos in an album your loved one can refer to later. Looking at these photos may make them smile and remember. The time spent together doing this can strengthen your bond and create new memories that will not soon be forgotten.
• Make sure you are respectful towards your loved one’s feelings about their things. You may not understand their attachment to the worn-out rocker or the cracked figurines, but be sensitive and allow them to make their own choices regarding what they want to hold on to.

Tips for seniors:

• Purchase a journal today and make lists of things you want to keep, things to give away, and things that can be donated or tossed. Making these decisions early can lessen the shock when the time comes to let go.
• Hire a Comfort Keepers^® caregiver, senior moving consultant or professional organizer to help. These individuals are often experts at being patient, sensitive to your feelings and needs, and can help make the list of items to keep, give away, toss or sell.
• When the time comes, measure the new space where you will be living and refer to your list to decide which things will fit. You might reprioritize your lists at this point, but at least you have a head start to lessen the stress of final decisions.
• Host a family night in order to pass favored items along to family members. This offers fun amidst a potentially sad time, and can lighten your mood. You can throw a party with friends and their children for the same purpose if you have no family, or even after your family has taken their favorites of your things.
• Above all, relax. This may seem hard at first, but concentrate on moving forward and enjoying a new phase in your life.

It is important for you and your elderly loved one to realize that they are in control of this decision-making process. Seniors who plan in advance are able to make sound, although hard, decisions regarding their things. With a little forethought and help from family and friends, the elderly are able to downsize with dignity…and can even be happy while doing so!