Downsizing a Senior can be a daunting task. 
I've seen this throughout my career as a Professional Organizer. A feeling of overwhelm, sadness, collections of family and historic memorabilia and loss of physical strength all contribute to the uncertainty of what the downsizing experience may bring on. Perhaps you know someone who needs guidance with an elderly parent, or friend? Read this important post for important and sensitive guidelines.
Ellie Kahn, an Expert in family and organizational histories and president of Living Legacies, wrote an article published Friday in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. Her struggles with her 87-year old aunt led her to research the organizing profession and her writing tips to organize a senior during the delicate transition to a smaller home.
"... professional organizers exist for a reason, and [experts] point to several challenges when downsizing to a smaller home:
- The quantity of stuff and the daunting task of dealing with it all;
- The feeling of urgency to get this task accomplished quickly;
- A painful sense of loss.
This last issue seems especially important for older people. “Getting old means facing a lot of losses,” my 87-year-old father said. “I’ve lost my independence, my physical strength and functioning and people I care about. It’s not easy.
Moving from a familiar home and letting go of things owned for years can feel like an additional loss. It’s not just the loss of the objects that has an impact; it’s the connection with the past that these objects symbolize."
You can read the author's article "Culling Your ‘Stuff’ Can Be Painful Task" by clicking here. Be sure to check out another related post we printed by Film-maker Keva Rosenfeld. As always, feel free to write comments for others to gain by your experiences-- the OrganizingLA Blog reaches a lot of people.
