As we get older, our needs start to change. It may reach a point where we don’t have the mobility or fitness levels required to move around a large house every day or repeatedly go up and down the stairs. Cleaning and maintaining a large home and garden can particularly be difficult for seniors. And, of course, some seniors may require a senior living or assisted living facility to better support their needs.

In all of these situations, some level of downsizing will be required as you move into a smaller, more manageable house or apartment. Read on for some tips on how to help a senior relative downsize effectively.

Take it step-by-step

Decluttering and downsizing aren’t processes that you can get done in an afternoon. As well as being physically tiring to move boxes and sort through belongings, it can also be emotionally draining to go through so many old memories and make the difficult decision of what to get rid of. Take it step-by-step, perhaps a room at a time. You can pace yourself over weeks or even months leading up to the move.

Share precious memories

There’s going to be a lot of things in your loved ones’ house that are special to them. It’s not easy to just throw away or sell things that have memories attached to them. As well as keeping the things that mean the most to them, they may want to pass on some of the items to family members or friends. Passing belongings down to grandchildren can be especially meaningful.

Plan for your new space

It’s good to have an idea of the size of your new home when deciding what to keep and get rid of, especially when it comes to furniture and decorations. It’s likely that you’ll have to sell or donate some of your furniture, but don’t get rid of it all before you think about what could be used in your new place. If you’ve got a three-piece-suite, for example, you could keep one sofa to use in your new home and donate the rest.

Throw, sell or donate

For the things you do decide to get rid of, you have three main options for them. Anything that’s in poor condition can be thrown away. Things that are still of use could either be sold or donated to a charity shop or somewhere similar.

Moving help

You don’t have to take the entire task on by yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends and family members, or hire professional packers and movers if needed.

If you need to make the move into senior living, then contact Brookstone of Clemmons to find out more about our assisted living facilities and care services in Clemmons, NC.