Have you noticed your elderly parent’s home slowly becoming more and more cluttered? Throughout life some people tend to collect items, valuables or just plain old dust collectors. This can often be common within the elderly, especially because they’ve had many years to build up a collection of items. 

You may be considering moving your elderly parent into an aged care facility. Or you may just want to declutter their home prior to when that time does come. This can be a difficult task to do, that’s why we’re providing you with some great decluttering tips to make it as easy and stress free as possible. 

Why do elderly people hang on to their stuff?

Elderly people avoid tossing stuff out, giving stuff away or using self storage for many reasons. This could be because of; sentimental value, sense of loyalty, history and memories and loneliness. As well as not trusting others with their valuables and possessions. 

For these reasons, helping your parent to declutter can be a very difficult and slow task. However, follow a few simple decluttering tips and you’ll have their house cleared in no time. 

The first steps in helping your elderly parent to declutter

Decluttering your elderly parent’s home can be a very sensitive task to do. Sometimes throwing everything away is not always the answer, and sometimes it is. Depending on how severe their hoarding issue may be. The task of sorting through stuff, throwing stuff out, boxing stuff up and giving stuff away can be time consuming and messy. The best decluttering tip is to take things step by step, slowly but surely. 

Come up with a game plan

Before getting started it’s best to come up with a game plan. Where are you going to put everything? Are you going to throw it away or store it? Are you going to store it at another family members house? In this case, self storage would be your best option. Renting a self storage unit is not only an affordable solution, but also a convenient solution. This way you can avoid throwing out less possessions which will definitely keep your elderly parent happy. 

Furthermore, hiring a storage unit with a little more room than needed is highly regarded. This will be beneficial when the time comes to move your parent into an Aged Care facility as you will already have storage space ready to go.

Choose a storage provider

Make a rough estimate of how much space you will need for storing possessions. Once you have a rough idea, start looking for a storage provider and what your best option would be. Consider things such as 24/7 access, location, price and security. 

Check out one of our previous blogs where we cover everything you need to know when choosing a storage provider, or see why Store Ur Stuff is a great Adelaide Storage option. You’ll then be ready to begin decluttering once you’ve chosen your provider. 

Where to start

Organising and decluttering are both time consuming tasks. Set out a schedule of when and what you’ll begin sorting through first – start with the least sentimental items. A great tip is to spread the task out over a few weeks with one or two cleaning sessions a week. This will help to ensure you don’t miss anything or throw out any valuables. As well as avoid overwhelming your elderly parent.

Start the decluttering process

As mentioned above, starting with the least sentimental items is a great decluttering tip. That way you can start throwing out unwanted items that are easier to part with. Start with items such as old towels, sheets and appliances. Then move onto items such as old clothing, tupperware and kitchenware.

After this, begin on the more sentimental items. Maybe even designate a space or room where you can pile the items up that will be kept and moved into storage. Once you’ve finished sorting through these items purchase some packing materials so you can prepare them for storage. Items like boxes, book cartons, sticky tape and bubble wrap will be essential packing materials. 

Most importantly, ensure you label boxes prior to placing them in storage. This will make it easier when looking for items once they are stored, especially when using long term storage.

Move possessions into self storage

Once you have everything packed correctly, it’s time to move their boxes and belongings into the chosen storage facility. During this process, ensure you do everything you can to keep items in their best condition. As well as use the space as best as you can to get the most out of it. Make sure you stack boxes/items with the heaviest and more durable on the bottom. Then begin to add the lighter boxes. Avoid stacking boxes too high as this could cause them to be off balance and unstable. 

Another important tip is to store your most important items in the easier access spots. This will help when you need to access certain things more often than others. 

Now, enjoy the ample room

Making the decision to declutter your elderly parent’s home can be a difficult thing to do. However, in the long run they will appreciate it and it will make it easier when the time comes to relocate. To make the process stress free and simple, all you need to do is follow the decluttering tips provided. As well as ensure you choose the best self storage provider available. Also, remember that donating unwanted things that are still of use to charity is a much better option than tossing it. 

If you’re looking for a reliable self storage provider Store Ur Stuff is a great option. You can view unit sizes online and make an enquiry today, or call staff on 08 8371 0000 for all your storage needs.