Here’s How You Can Help Your Parents Declutter Their Home

Have you recently looked around your parent’s home and realized just how much stuff they actually have? Over the years, we all tend to acquire things, lots of things. From cherished mementos to odds and ends, your elderly loved ones probably have a ton of stuff. 

Whether your parents eventually plan to downsize and move to a smaller home or not, you can help make their lives a bit easier by helping them declutter their house. While there are moving companies in Palmer that specialize in helping seniors move, there is no reason to move things that they no longer love or need. 

But where do you even begin? 

The one thing you probably should NOT do is just show up in work clothes with a bunch of cardboard boxes. The process should actually begin with a conversation. 

Take a Compassionate Approach

People become attached to things, and parting with them can be difficult for many older people, even when they know the items are unnecessary.

The key to success is to take a gentle approach and give your loved one a sense of control over their belongings. Downsizing should always begin with a conversation — or even several conversations — in the months or weeks leading up to a clean-out event. Talk to your loved one about their belongings and why you feel it would be helpful to declutter and work with them to make a plan that addresses your concerns while honoring their wishes.

During the process, remain compassionate. As people get older, they often experience loss, including the deaths of friends and family members, declining health and mobility, and reduced independence. Parting with possessions can feel like one more loss, so it is important to recognize that certain items have sentimental value. By trying to understand the reasons behind their reluctance, you can make the entire process go more smoothly.

Reframe the Conversation in Terms of “Opportunities”

Talk about the “opportunities” that decluttering will give them, such as the chance to assist their children with cleaning out while they are still healthy enough to help. They also have the opportunity to experience the joy of giving away cherished belongings to their family members or reminiscing with their loved ones as they go through family mementos. 

If they are planning to move into a smaller home, they have the opportunity to start a simpler life without carrying the weight of so much stuff around with them.

Make it Easy for Them

On clean-out day, make it as easy and convenient as possible. Having tables or boxes labeled “Keep,” “Donate,” and “Toss” can help your loved one easily categorize and organize items. You can help them by offering to ship or deliver items to family members or drop them off at the local community collection center, and dispose of the discarded items.

Don’t Rush the Process

Try to go at their pace, even if it’s not as fast as you prefer. Your loved one needs a chance to reminisce and make an unhurried decision about whether items should be kept, donated, or discarded. This will help them feel in control, valued, and respected. 

Give Visiting Angels a Call

The compassionate caregivers at Visiting Angels Palmer can provide valuable assistance by offering companionship and a listening ear for your aging parents as they share memories and stories about their belongings. Give us a call today at (508) 344-9916 to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation in-home consultation to learn about our approach to senior care and how we can help your loved one age in place in the comfort of their current home … or the one they downsize to.