Then there are those who save. Some people save things, and some people save everything. When it gets to the point that a home is nearly uninhabitable, compulsive hoarding may be the culprit. People who suffer from this psychological condition see the value in every object, leading to the inability to get rid of things (even items of no value, such as old newspapers and food containers).

Hoarding is more extreme than simply accumulating clutter. Hoarders may not be able
to move around the home. Floor space may shrink to a single pathway. Hoarding restricts
everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or sleeping and severely reduces the quality of
life. Hoarders may not even recognize the extremity of their surroundings. Or, if they
do, they may refuse to let family and friends visit their homes for fear of being criticized.

If you or someone you know has symptoms of hoarding or shopping addiction, consider
contacting a therapist. Good resources for basic information about hoarding are the
Institute for Challenging Disorganization (www.challengingdisorganization.org) and
the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation (www.ocfoundation.org).

© Time to Organize. Limited distribution rights granted.

Remodeling for wheelchair access, organizing home furnishings and daily living items or downsizing and relocating to a smaller living area are monumental tasks that are many times thrust on senior home owners.  Sometimes the need to do this is brought on by injury or age related illness. Home and yard maintenance can become a daunting chore for even the healthiest of seniors, requiring them to make a downsizing decision.

There is a large and growing industry of specialists who understand these challenges of elderly homeowners and are ready and willing to help with remodeling, organizing or the sale of the home and with the move to a new location.

A professional organizer provides skills in making the home safe and manageable. Relocating furniture, removing hazards such as electrical cords, throw rugs, heavy objects on shelves that might fall are some of the ways they make a home more senior friendly.  They specialize in helping seniors part with items that clutter or have no valued use, so to make rooms less crowded or to make ready for a move to a smaller living space.

Handicap remodeling services and senior safety services offer help in adding wheelchair ramps and widening doorways. Bathrooms are made more accessible and safe, with hand rails, walk-in bath facilities and easier access to toilets.

If moving to a smaller retirement home or care facility is the best solution there is another senior specialty provider to call on called a Seniors Real Estate Specialist.

The Senior Real Estate Specialist concentrates more on a complete service package for the sale of the property and/or the purchase of a new living arrangement. The specialist also arranges for the services of a relocation specialist or Senior Move Manager to provide a complete, stress-free package for the elderly homeowner.

A move often requires downsizing and getting rid of a tremendous number of acquired possessions. The relocation specialist or Senior Move Manager, as they are often called, will typically provide a turnkey operation that includes assessing and identifying items to keep, arranging for auction or other disposal, cleaning the home, moving the belongings and setting up the new residence. The manager may also work closely with a real estate agent to arrange for the sale of the home and may also be involved in the financial transactions necessary to move into a new living arrangement.

All the help available to seniors may in itself be overwhelming.  How do seniors choose the right service provider for their needs?  How do they know they will hire someone qualified, responsible and honest?  Area Agencies on Aging and State Better Business Bureaus are good resources to check out available service providers.

Family, friends and religious leaders can be valuable resources to seniors in referring service providers and helping to manage the hiring and supervision.

The National Care Planning Council’s website www.longtermcarelink.net provides educational articles and information on eldercare providers throughout the nation.

1. Have a plan

Before starting any organizing project it is important to have a plan. The plan need not be complicated, in fact, the simpler the better. In order to make your plan, you first must determine what the intended use for the space is. Once you know what the space will be used for it will be much easier to work through the following steps. Knowing where you want to end up is the key to figuring out how you will get there.

2. Sort & Purge

Now that you know the purpose of your space, you will be able to decide what items are needed in order to set up your space properly. Sorting and purging go hand in hand. When sorting through items ask yourself: “Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I love it?” If the answer is no, let it go. As you purge the things you no longer need, you will naturally come across things that relate to your plan. These items you will sort. Sort like items with like items. By sorting this way, it allows you to see how much you have of the same things which will allow you to then determine how much you really need.

3. Assign a home

Once you have sorted and purged all objects for your planned space you will need to assign them a home. When deciding where that home should be, ask yourself, “Where would I look for it?” That answer will lead you to the place that makes most sense to you. Place the things you use the most often in easy reach. Having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place is key.

4. Work the system

Now that your new system is in place it is important to work the system. Make it a point to put things a way in their newly assigned home. Instead of putting something down, put it away. You just have to work your system and soon it will become habit.

Organizing is like laundry, it is ongoing. Just when you think you have the perfect system in place and things are flowing beautifully another item shows up. Schedule time to maintain your system daily and make larger changes periodically as needed.

            Do you often find yourself rummaging through your house looking for that one item you know you saw just two days ago? Do you sometimes think that if your head weren’t attached to your body, you’d lose your mind? Well, I know I have and I am here to tell you that these questions have an answer—organization! Unfortunately, this answer is not always so simple. Getting organized can be overwhelming and frustrating. However, I can tell you, from my 10 years of organizing experience, that the end result is ALWAYS worth it. One of the questions I am faced with by almost all of my clients is, “Where in the world do I start?” Well, this is a great question! Diving into organization without a strategic plan is kind of like driving somewhere new without directions. Both are usually not so successful.

Here are seven simple secrets to help you answer the question, “Where in the World do I Start?”

1.      Motivate! Just like everything else in life, your attitude towards getting organized determines your success. If you are constantly telling yourself ‘I can’t do it,’ then you probably can’t do it. From this point forward, tell yourself, “I CAN do it!” Think about how great you will feel emptying out that box that has been taking up the whole back half of your closet for the past year. Pretty good, huh? Dream about all the free time you will have simply because you won’t find yourself spending hours mindlessly searching for things.

2.      Choose a starting point—any starting point! Can’t decide where to begin? Well, just by getting started you are on your way. Your starting point really does not matter; the important part is that you start somewhere.

3.      Think about what’s really bugging you. I usually find this to be the best motivation to getting organized. If you can’t stand the fact that you can’t see your desk because it’s covered with papers, start there. Or, if you are constantly irritated that you can’t park in your garage because it’s filled with boxes, start there.

4.      One thing at a time! It is important to focus on one thing at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself with the impossible. To help with this, I advise you to utilize my favorite tactic—making lists! Start by making a list of the things you want to organize whether it is your garage, your closet, your pantry, etc.  When you’re done with your list, choose only one thing to be your ‘major’ goal. Next, break your ‘major’ goal down into ‘mini’ goals. Now, one at a time you can focus on achieving each doable mini goal. Before you know it, your ‘major’ goal will be conquered.

5.      Abide by due dates. This tactic eliminates the possibility of procrastination and telling yourself, “Oh, I’ll get around to it when I have time.” Well, unless you make time you aren’t going to have time. Reminisce back to your college days and force yourself to abide by due dates. Apply them to each of your ‘mini’ goals.

6.      Bribery—it works! Bribe yourself with rewards for each ‘mini’ goal you conquer. Your reward can range from a cookie to a new pair of shoes, I recommend tailoring it to personal preference. Make it enticing and be sure to only reward yourself when you deserve it (aka when you fulfill a ‘mini’ goal)! Make a chart to organize your goals, due dates, and potential rewards and display it somewhere where you will see it every day.

7.      Recruit a nagger. We all hate to be constantly nagged at and hate, even more, to admit that it usually works. With that said, recruit a friend or family member to nag you about your organization goals and due dates. Give them a copy of your chart and ask them to bug you a few days before due dates, check up on your organization progress, and be a nag!

And if that isn’t enough to get you going, contact your favorite professional organizer to help you along the way!