The time after retirement is often filled with fun things like relaxing, traveling, and spending time with family, but it should also be a time for seniors to evaluate their lifestyles and prepare for the upcoming years. A particularly helpful task all seniors should consider is downsizing. Whether seniors just choose to get rid of a few things or halve their belongings to move to a tiny home, downsizing right after retirement allows seniors to gain these six great benefits.
1. Minimize Housecleaning Time
Having more stuff always translates into more work. Seniors who have houses filled with clutter have to spend a lot of time dusting, mopping, moving furniture, and organizing if they want their houses to look neat. When a home has a clean, minimalist look after downsizing, your aging loved one may find it takes a lot less time to do housework.
2. Create Room for Mobility-Assisting Devices
It can be difficult to install important things like guardrails, ramps, and chair lifts in a cluttered home. Taking the time to go through belongings and get rid of unused items ensures the house has plenty of wide-open space for installing modifications.
In addition to modifying a home with devices for seniors with mobility challenges, consider hiring a caregiver to provide even greater safety for your loved one. Anchorage home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
3. Save Money
Downsizing can help seniors save money in several different ways. Those who choose to get rid of a lot of high-quality furniture, jewelry, décor, or electronics may find there are many people interested in paying for these items. Those who go one step further and downsize to smaller houses get the added advantage of lower utility bills and fewer maintenance requirements.
4. Help Others
Downsizing can benefit your loved one’s community by offering much-needed furniture, appliances, and other household items to those in need. Many seniors find it heartwarming to know beloved items they no longer use are now being appreciated by other people.
5. Prepare for Around-the-Clock Care
If your loved one is eventually going to reach a stage where he or she needs a family member or caregiver living with him or her, downsizing is essential. Clearing out a guest room allows the caregiver to have his or her own private space to store belongings or unwind at the end of the day. Downsizing before a caregiver needs to move in gives your loved one more control over how he or she chooses to organize and get rid of clutter.
Some seniors only require help with a few daily tasks so they can maintain their independence. However, those living with serious illnesses may need more extensive assistance. Luckily, there is professional live-in care Anchorage, AK, seniors can rely on. Home can be a safer and more comfortable place for your loved one to live with the help of an expertly trained and dedicated live-in caregiver.
6. Make It Easier to Navigate the Home
The mobility issues that come with old age will be less stressful in a home that has been properly downsized. Seniors are less likely to face tripping hazards or have things fall on top of them when they’ve gotten rid of unnecessary items in the house. It will also be far easier to locate things they do need so they’re not exhausting themselves hunting down random items.
Downsizing can be an important component of planning for the golden years, and so can anticipating your loved one’s need for high-quality home care. When searching for reliable Anchorage at-home care agencies, families want to know their senior loved one will be well taken care of. At Home Care Assistance, our expertly trained caregivers are available around the clock to assist with tasks around the house, provide transportation to medical appointments and social events, and much more. For reliable in-home care services, contact us at (907) 770-0907 today.