At first blush, clutter might not seem like a big deal in your aging adult’s life. But it can tell you a great deal about what could be going on with your elderly family member.

It’s Risky for Anyone to Live with Clutter

Living with clutter is dangerous for just about everyone, but especially your aging adult. Clutter can be a tripping hazard and if it goes vertical, clutter can fall down onto your senior. Depending on the health issues she’s already dealing with, this can be disastrous for her. This is why it’s so crucial to get a handle on clutter.

Clutter Can Mean that Your Senior Is Having Trouble

Clutter can be a quick visual cue for you that your elderly family member is experiencing some trouble. She may not physically be able to keep up with her home any longer. Physical difficulties like weakened muscles or painful joints can create problems for your elderly family member when she tries to keep up with household tasks. Senior care providers can take over those tasks for her, which might clear up the clutter problem altogether.

Your Senior Might Forget about the Clutter

It might sound impossible, but if your elderly family member is experiencing cognitive changes, she might even forget that clutter is building up. She may forget that she needs to throw away junk mail or that she needs to have a clear path from one room to another. Over time, that problem can grow worse. If you suspect that forgetfulness is part of the problem, talk with her doctor right away.

Being Unable to Manage Clutter Gets Depressing

No matter what the cause of the clutter is initially, it can become a vicious cycle. Looking around at all the clutter and experiencing the difficulties that the clutter creates for her can be absolutely depressing. When your senior is feeling depressed, she’s far less likely to want to do much about the clutter, which allows it to grow even worse.

She May Fear Losing Something

Fear of loss is a huge reason that some people become hoarders. These folks may have experienced significant loss, either in the form of their belongings or they may have lost people they loved. This can make them cling to the things that they own that much more tightly and that can lead to a huge clutter issue.

Getting clutter under control is so important for your aging family member. Once you do, home care providers can help you and your senior to keep things under control. If things do start to get out of hand again, elder care providers can keep you in the loop about it.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care in Sunny Vale, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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