Helping Seniors Lighten the Load

Many senior citizens have lived in the same house for most of their lives, perhaps since marrying. While there are of course many joyous moments contained within the walls of a long time residence, such as raising children, celebrating holidays, and countless other treasured memories, there is also bound to be an impressively large and disparate collection of stuff that has gathered over the years.

If you’re finding yourself entering your twilight years, or have elderly parents or other family members, one thing you may be wondering is what exactly you’re going to do with all the things you’ve accumulated over your lifetime. Maybe you’re already considering downsizing to a smaller place, or you’re planning on staying in your current home but just want to reclaim some square footage from all the accumulated objects and ephemera. Whatever your specific plans may be, it’s never the wrong time to think about what to do with some of your belongings. But the question is where to start?

Just the very idea of getting rid of some possessions can be daunting, and many people find the prospect of it to be paralyzing, and as such never get rid of anything. A good place to start is to make a plan, with clearly defined end goals. For example, take it one room at a time, and make multiple piles depending on what you want to do with the objects. Good categories are things to keep, things to donate, give away, sell, or throw away.