This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Helping Seniors Create Their Living Legacy

Helping Seniors Create Their Living Legacy Stories pass from generation to generation. Take the time and find out the stories behind your parents most precious belongings.

Hidden in our clutter may be valued memories and pieces of family history, the meaning of which may be unknown even to family members. In the past, generations often shared a household and many family stories.  That doesn’t happen as much today.  As a senior move manager I am often in the position of helping seniors sort through their belongings.  I ask a lot of questions to help them decide what to do with an item. Grown children and grandchildren are often astonished when they learn the history or significance of items. It convinced me that as professional organizers we can help seniors create a living legacy, as much as we can help them remove clutter or downsize their household.

Stories pass from generation to generation.  By identifying and understanding what items hold precious memories, connections with future generations are ensured. We need to encourage our seniors to share what is significant among
their belongings with loved ones.

Perhaps these conversations aren’t happening because we have so much stuff ourselves that the thought of dealing with someone else’s clutter isn’t appealing.  Or maybe it’s because discussing a legacy means acknowledging what we don’t like to think about. We won’t be around forever.

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In his book “How to Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders,” author David Solie, M.S., P.A., explains how legacy is a key drivers for seniors. “Every day, whether our elders speak of it or not, they are reexamining events in their lives with the enhanced perspective of age. It is an all-consuming task.” Solie offers useful advice for improving communication with seniors.

Make no mistake. Going through a lifetime’s worth of belongings is no easy task. Physically, many seniors don’t have the energy to do it.  But if you don’t take the time and opportunity while your parents are still living, their stories and memories may be lost forever. By keeping what they hold  precious in the family, you honor their  life. A professional organizer can assist with the task.

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jane Carroo is a recognized Certified Professional Organizer and owner of Clutter Coach Company, which she founded in 2004.  Jane combines her experience as an educator,life coach, certified professional organizer and senior move manager to help clients gain clarity and control over their space, paper and time.  An inspiring author, Jane has been featured on NBC, the CBS Early Show, A&E Hoarders and many print and online publications.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?