Trying to help a senior loved one who has a home, garage or attic full of possessions they’ve collected over the years and often full of old newspapers, magazines, plastic tubs, aluminum foil, plastic bags and simply junk can be very overwhelming and stressful, even for the most energetic and loving daughter or son.
So we’ve been posting helpful articles on our blog about Seniors and hoarding syndrome, clutter and disorganization to help you as a caregiver to notice the warning signs and understand the safety and health hazards.
Now, we’re providing you with several helpful resources including Home Instead Senior Care. Our CAREGivers can really make a difference in preventing hoarding syndrome as seniors begin to age and they’re not able to clean like they used to, or they’re not able to see or notice the health hazards that may begin to surround them.
Here is a list of 9 helpful resources for home disorganization, clutter and hoarding syndrome, particularly for seniors and your elderly loved ones, whether that be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or elderly friend:
- National Association of Professional Organizers. Find a professional organizer near you at http://www.napo.net
- National Association of Senior Move Managers. For assistance helping older adults and their families downsize, relocate or modify their homes, contact http://www.nasmm.org.
- National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. For various resources on combating clutter. This non-profit organization features fact sheets, a clutter-hoarding scale for professional organizers to help assess their clients, and a questionnaire to determine if someone is a chronic disorganizer. Chronic disorganization is defined by the group as ongoing (chronic), interfering with the ability to get things done or with relationships, and a history of failed self help.
- Vickie Dellaquila. Certified professional organizer and author of Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash. Email Vickie at Vickie@organizationrules.com
- University of New Mexico Researcher Dr. Catherine Roster. Dr. Roster is a clutter researcher who serves as research director for The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. She is currently working on a clutter self-assessment tool that will help clutter collectors get to the root of their issues.
- University of Kansas Professor Dr. David Ekerdt. Dr. Ekerdt is coordinating a “household moves” project to determine the role that possessions play in older people’s housing decisions.
- Katherine “Kit” Anderson, CPO-CD. President of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. You can email her at kit@andersonorganizing.com
- Remove from Junk Mail Lists. To get Seniors off of junk mail lists, you can remove them by going to online resources such as http://dmachoice.org, http://www.catalogchoice.org and http://www.optoutprescreen.com
- Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond. Our home helper services such as light housekeeping, shopping services and meal preparation can be just the thing to ensure that clutter creep doesn’t happen and that cupboards and refrigerators stay clean and full of fresh food. Visit our website at http://homeinstead.com/richmond-va for all the home care services provided to seniors in the Richmond area.
For more information, call our Richmond Home Instead Senior Care office at 804.527.1100 anytime. We’ll be happy to discuss all your senior home care needs and help you figure out solutions that allow the elderly to preserve their dignity as they age. Because at Home Instead… to us, it’s personal.
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Great list of resources. I think that hiring a junk removal service is sometimes the best option when moving or cleaning out a large area. Most junk removal companies recycle, so it is also an option for those concerned with living green.