When life gets difficult, when years bring the consequences, then making daily life activities as easy as possible is a must. What many people forget is that not only do some small activities require a different approach and a more practical way of doing it, but also some other things most people even forget about need to be adjusted to meet their needs. At this age, they need to have enough space to live and enjoy their lives, so having an organized storage is something you shouldn't skip, but how to achieve this, and how to make storing things away easier for them?
First of all, improved safety
We have to start from the most important benefit of an organized space, and that's increased safety. As seniors start to have problems navigating their daily activities, an unorganized storage space can cause additional difficulties. How can organized storage help them?
- A decluttered space supports their psychological and physical state.
First of all, once their space is decluttered, you'll see that this will improve their physical and psychological welfare. They will move more freely, and there won't be any clutter they can trip over, or simply injure themselves trying to find something.
- They can't fall or injure themselves trying to reach something.
Often, when trying to reach something, seniors get seriously injured, and this injury brings long-lasting consequences. How to avoid this? Well, it's simple, they just need to organize the storage so that they know exactly where something is. This way, they won't have a cluttered space, and the risk of getting injured is minimized.
Better use of their living space.
During this stage of life, many seniors choose to move into a nursing home or find a more practical living space. In such a case, they need a huge and practical storage space to store all their stuff. This is why drive-up storage seems to be the best option for elderly people, and finding the right one in your area has never been easier. There are certain websites, like sparefoot.com/drive-up-storage, where you just have to put your address and the city, and it will recommend the nearest storage. This drive-up storage solution is great for seniors because they don't have to carry heavy boxes all around, when they can just park in front of their storage unit and take as much time as they need to store and organize their things.
Can this affect their health management?
Besides mentioning that decluttered space reduces the risks of injuries, are there any other health benefits of organized storage space? Of course there are…
- A decluttered storage helps them keep track of prescriptions. This way, they won't miss purchasing any medication, and will have everything under control.
- It can be really difficult if they mix their medications. This can lead to serious health issues, and if they take care of this on their own, then they need a well-organized storage space, in a way that helps them keep track of when and how they take certain medications.
- They don't forget to take their medications if their medication storage is organized in a way that they immediately notice if they miss certain medications.
Less stress and better adaptation skills
When reaching a particular stage and state of their life, most seniors decide that it's best for them and their loved ones to make some changes. Moving to a retirement home can be really stressful at their age, and many seniors have long-term problems trying to adapt to such a new environment. A retirement home means much less space; however, with the right storage technique, this space doesn't have to be overwhelming. If they decorate their own space the way they're comfortable and if they know how to store their things even in a small living space, the quality of their life can be improved and the adaptation time can be reduced.
They need to feel independent…
Feeling vulnerable is expected at this stage of life, and this can have a serious consequence on their self-esteem and their opinion of themselves. You want to make them feel:
- Capable of taking care of themselves.
No human being wants to depend on someone, especially if they have lived their life completely independently. Once they realize they can still take care of them, they will still value their skills and will feel useful, which can be extremely important during this stage. Your only job is to make these activities as easy as possible.
- Confident, they still have control of everything.
You want to help them keep control of their daily lives by organizing and maintaining both their storage space and their living space. Knowing exactly where something is and being able to find it can really support their positive point of view and will help them stay motivated.
- Like they're not a burden.
Even if it's not true, seniors often feel like they're a burden to their loved ones, and that no one likes devoting their time to taking care of them. If you want to create a safe space for them so that you don't worry about their safety and still let them preserve their autonomy, then organizing their storage is what should be at the top of your priority list. They'll have everything they need and will continue with their daily activities.
Some tips…
Now that we have explained why organized storage is something that supports seniors, we have to talk about some tips on how to achieve this organized and safe storage space:
- Label the boxes, and try to divide the boxes in a way that they know exactly where to look for something. It can be divided by rooms, material, use, etc.
- Use the highest shelves for things they won't have to reach for without your help.
- Make sure the lighting is great to prevent injuries and make storing easier.
- Make sure their daily items are at hand.
Remember that being a senior brings many new changes, and if you have difficulties adjusting to the place for your loved ones, or for yourself, then you need to do a little research on what the best way to store things is. Once you achieve a clever technique, everything else will go much smoother.