February is National Declutter for a Cause Month. This month is the perfect month to start some spring cleaning by decluttering for a cause. What does this mean? It means your parent gets to clean up her home and then look at blessing someone else with the items she no longer needs. She can choose her “cause” that she wants to donate her items to, or she can choose several charities that might accept different items.
But, before she can begin supporting others by donating items, she must begin decluttering. In the month of February, your elder care provider can help by setting one hour each week of her visiting time to help your parent declutter an area of her home. Your elder care provider can also help with boxing up items and getting them ready to be brought to a local shelter or non-profit organization. Here are some great places to start:
Declutter the kitchen.
Cupboards and cabinets can end up with all kinds of items that never get used. Your parent might appreciate a chance to really go through her coffee mugs and finally get rid of the ones she never uses. Or maybe she’ll want to look at all of the pots and pans she has and discover she could donate several of them. It may be that she still has enough plates to feed her family of 6 but she lives alone now, so a few place servings can go. Whatever she isn’t using is sure to be appreciated by someone who has nothing.
Another place to declutter in the kitchen is the food pantry. Having your elder care provider help, all food should be taken out of the pantry and reviewed for usefulness as well as freshness. Cans and jars often get buried in the back of the pantry shelves, expiring before ever being eaten. Have your parent toss anything that is no longer safe and then consider donating other items that she doesn’t use to a local food shelf or pantry.
Declutter that garage.
If there are tons of tools that your elderly parent no longer uses, those might be great items to give to a local charity to help them build and repair items. Your parent might also store outdoor recreational items such as skiing, camping, or boating gear that she no longer uses. Now is a great time to donate them to a youth shelter or organization that resells the products to raise money for their charity.
Declutter those closets.
Household items like towels, bed sheets, and clothes have a way of accumulating to the point that your parent will never use them all. Help her look through those closets and get ready to get rid of anything she hasn’t used or worn the past year. There are plenty of great charities and support houses that would love to be able to give their clients these items to help them through a tough period.
Once your parent begins the decluttering process, she might be amazed at how good it feels to clean her own home while also supporting her community through her donations.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Elder Care Services in Dix Hills NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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