(3 minute read)
According to AARP, about 90% of older adults want to stay in their homes as long as they can and almost 50% of adults over 60 have been in their homes for 20 years or longer.
The good news is that with the right home modifications plus the right level of help, most older adults can safely age in place at home.
The earlier you plan where you age in place, the better. Planning ahead gives you time to make decisions calmly and look for ways to cut costs. You don’t want to wait until there’s a crisis where you are forced to quickly remodel your home or else find a new place to live.
A home safety check should be part of your plan to age in place. Your home should be safe and easy to navigate, even with a cane, walker, or wheelchair. Falls can be prevented by removing throw rugs, picking up stuff left on the floor, moving furniture so it doesn’t block someone’s path, replacing loose carpeting, adding grab bars, improving lighting, and so on.
Getting rid of the clutter should also be part of your plan, but it’s also the hardest. Here are some approaches that may help you get started.
Marie Kondo wants your home to spark joy
Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method™ is for anyone who is sick and tired of coming home to a house that is cluttered, dusty, or unorganized.
The KonMari Method asks you to take a fresh look at your possessions. You can keep what sparks joy, but you must get rid of everything else.
Marie Kondo’s approach is to sort your possessions by category, not room by room. The first category is clothing, then books, papers, komono (anything that doesn’t fit in the other categories), and, finally, sentimental items.
After tossing, giving away, or selling the things that are no longer wanted or needed, the final step is to reorganize what is left so that there is a place for everything and everything in its place.
The end result is a well-organized, peaceful home that is not only a joy to come home to and is easier to keep clean.
Consider Death Cleaning
Check out the English translation of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, written as she says, when she was between 80 and 100. Don’t be put off by the title. This book is actually a fun and easy read.
Death Cleaning is a direct translation of a Swedish word, döstädning. Although Death Cleaning can involve some actual housecleaning, it’s more about putting one’s affairs in order either before or after a death.
In Magnusson’s case, she started her personal Death Cleaning after she became a widow. She was in good health, but maintaining her home and doing yard work were becoming more of a burden. She wanted to spend the rest of her days living as comfortably and as stress-free as possible.
Magnusson had painful memories of the Death Cleaning she did when closing up her mother’s house after her mother passed, and she did not want her children to be burdened with the same task. She wanted to leave only happy memories behind.
So she decided to sell her home in the country and move to an apartment in the city. She picked a location that was within walking distance of shops, pharmacies, theaters, and restaurants so she would not need to depend on others for transportation when she wanted to go out.
Magnusson told her family and friends about her intention to give away, donate, or toss what wouldn’t fit in her new apartment and lifestyle. If someone didn’t want an item she offered, it was OK to say no so she could offer it to someone else.
She started her Death Cleaning by clearing out the attic, basement, and other storage areas. Then she sorted her clothes. Next, she worked room by room, carefully choosing the items she wanted to keep for her new apartment. She saved sentimental items for last. As she worked, she made a point of disposing of potentially embarrassing items. To quote Magnusson:
“Save your favorite dildo, but throw away the other 15!”
Her book is not really an instruction manual for downsizing. It’s more about how downsizing feels from start to finish. In the end, it felt good to let go of the clutter, and it especially felt good to know that her treasures were in the hands of those who would care for them as she did.
Feng Shui and living your best life
According to the principles of Feng Shui, luck is constantly changing, from good to bad, and then back to good again. Adjusting how energy flows through a room, house, building, or even a garden can influence one’s overall health, safety, prosperity, career, love life, and happiness.
A Feng Shui master may consult a compass or spend hours analyzing a client’s Chinese astrological sign to determine the optimal furnishings for a home. But you don’t have to be a Feng Shui master to create a home that is warm, welcoming, and healthy. Basically, for good Feng Shui, a home should be clean, organized, well-lit, and free of clutter.
According to Grand Master of Feng Shui Lillian Too, you can start improving your home’s Feng Shui right away by getting rid of broken or damaged items, dying plants, things you never use, expired medications and make-up, outdated foods, and especially anything that triggers bad memories. Having too many things in a room can impede the flow of energy, allowing stagnant, negative energy to accumulate (along with dust, mold, and pests). Once the house is cleared of clutter, then you can start rearranging furniture, painting the walls, and adding more mirrors and plants. According to Master Too, getting rid of the clutter will not only refresh your home’s energy, it will also refresh your own.
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