Declutter Your Home and Live Safer!

Declutter Your Home 

to Live More Safely! 

The right people, doing the right things,

the right way, for the right reasons.

Right at Home.

Falling is one of the greatest risks to our senior population over the age of 65. Falls increase with each decade of your life and a recent study shows that 30% of the population over age 65 falls and half of those falls occur in seniors who have previously fallen.

Not surprisingly, clutter is one of the major reasons that people can fall in their homes. A lifetime of accumulating possessions and belongings can easily get out of hand and it's always a good time to work on paring down what we have and organizing the things we keep to make our lives simpler and our homes safer.

Reducing clutter opens up more space in your home and makes it easier to navigate safely. But it can be difficult for people - who often have an emotional attachment to their possessions - to let go. The first place to start (if you’re a family member helping their parent or sibling or grandparent) to begin letting go is to have a conversation about what is important, what the person wants to keep and how to preserve their memories. The goal should be threefold:

1. What do I want to keep?
2. What can I throw away?
3. What can I donate or gift to others?

Sitting down and making a list as you go from room to room can be a valuable tool and having someone help you who is not emotionally attached to your possessions can be very beneficial to how you look at things and make decisions.

Another thing to remember is that the task of decluttering can be overwhelming. It’s best to tackle it a little at a time: a single drawer in a day, an hour at a time, a closet over a weekend. Accomplishing small goals like that helps keep people motivated and it also doesn’t feel like you’re losing everything all at once.

Many photos can be scanned and saved onto a computer or a digital photo frame. Important documents can also be scanned and, if need be, stored in

a safe deposit box. People need to know that their memories are not gone forever.

If there are pieces of furniture that are too big or are out-of-date or need repair or refurbishment, donating them or recycling them can not only free up space in the house but can also benefit someone else. Try looking at places like The Salvation Army or Vietnam Veterans of America which will come to your home and pick up furniture for you. If you’re willing to just give pieces away, posting them as “free to the first person who responds” on Craigs List or Freecycle or Let Go will help get them out of your house faster. And, if all else fails, you can hire a company (like 1-800-GOT-JUNK) which will, for a fee based on how many items you have, take away not only furniture but appliances and other things for you.

Invite your family and friends to come to your house to see if there are any mementos, family memorabilia, keepsakes or other items that they’d like to keep. It may help to know that someone else will be taking care of something you’ve treasured and make it easier to let it go to them.

If you have old magazines or books that have been accumulating, call your local library or senior center and see if they accept donations. Go through your closets and see if there’s clothing you no longer wear and can donate it. Homeless shelters and churches will often take clothing to share with those who need it more. If you have old bedding or towels, call your local animal shelter. They are always in need of those things for the animals they care for.

Check your kitchen cabinets and pantry and get rid of any food that’s expired or that you know you’ll never eat. If you have mismatched cutlery or plates, consider donating them as well. Soup kitchens can use those types of items to help take care of the people they feed.

When all of this is done - whether it takes a week, a month or 6 months - your home will be safer and clutter-free and you’ll have given away or donated things you no longer need to people who truly can benefit from them. That’s a good thing for everyone!