When you hit your golden years, there’s going to be one part of you that’s going to want to hold onto everything from the past, and then there’s going to be this other part that’s ready to let go of items. In general, simplicity becomes a virtue more and more with age, and when it comes to senior living, comfort, safety, and simplicity count.
One of the most effective ways to boost quality of life isn’t moving to a beach house and laying in the sand all day; it’s actually decluttering your current living space (though a beach house sounds great too). You want to promote more ease of movement, kick out any hazards, and just make it comfortable, and decluttering can do that. So, let’s explore a little more into what you can declutter to make life a little more comfortable.
Why You Should Embrace Decluttering
As you age, you accumulate more things, things you have held onto since you were a child, young adult, and even now. But you don’t really need everything though. Your needs and priorities are going to evolve over the years, and so will your living space.
Better for Safety and Mobility
Even if you don’t need a walker to get around your house, it’s still better to remove what you can. You want to be able to move around freely in your home without having to worry about the risk of getting into an accident such as tripping. In general, cluttered homes significantly increase the chance of tripping and falling, which is something you especially need to avoid with age.
Daily Routines Become Easier
You want to have a comfortable routine, something that allows for smoothness within the day and, of course, makes daily activities more efficient. No one wants to deal with searching for items they lost or having to move items around constantly. There’s just more sense of order and predictability in clutter-free spaces.
Better Mental Well-Being
Generally speaking, clutter has a psychological impact, a negative impact specifically. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed or anxious, and being in a well-organized space without clutter is going to drastically support your mental health.
5 Items to Declutter for Better Senior Living
Take a good look around your home; chances are high there are some items that you could depart with that could actually improve your well-being. But do you know where to even begin? What would even be for the best? Well, here are five items that can drastically improve senior living if you remove them.
Excessive Furniture
One major mistake that most people, not just seniors, make is overcrowding rooms with unnecessary furniture or using large pieces of furniture for smaller rooms. Seniors need to have open and spacious living areas, and there needs to be an ease of movement so accidents don’t happen. So, if you have any furniture that’s obstructing any pathways or collecting dust, it’s going to be a good idea to get rid of it.
Unused and Expired Medication
Ideally, you must regularly review and discard unused or expired medication and supplements. It’s common for seniors to have a lot of medication that they need to take daily, so it’s best to just check every few months what needs to be thrown out. It might even help to get a pill organizer.
Excessive Textiles
It’s pretty common for seniors to have at least one closet filled with unworn clothes, linens, old curtains, or some other type of fabric that hasn’t been used or needed in years. All of these are just creating unnecessary clutter, so ideally, it’s best to have a curated selection of bed linens, clothes, towels, and curtains so the laundry is more organized and manageable.
Outdated Technology and Cables
No matter the age, it seems as if every household has that box or drawer that’s filled with unused cables that no one knows where they go to, or even some old technology stashed somewhere, thinking it may be used. All of these not only create more clutter but there’s always the potential for a tripping hazard. So why not consider recycling or donating these outdated items?
Non-Essential Kitchenware
Do you have duplicates of certain kitchen utensils? What about pots and pans that haven’t been used in so many years? Senior living usually gets to a point where cooking becomes more simplistic, and having unused kitchenware in your home may take away from the simplicity of cooking. Plus, decluttering this area can help reduce potential accidents in the kitchen.
Embrace the More Simplistic Side
When it comes to senior living, it’s going to get to a point where you’ll need to embrace simplisticity and the idea that less is more. By focusing on these types of items, you’re going to easily make comfort and safety more of a priority in your home. You can still enjoy your home to the fullest, even if it’s not filled to the fullest. Fostering this sense of easte and well-being in your daily life is crucial; it’s crucial for all seniors. So get around to making changes in your today!
