Helping Seniors Find their Freedom
I come from a very close family and as I have gotten older I have realized how over time things build up in someone's home. I have witnessed how when someone gets older it gets progressively more difficult to keep up with it all. Mail, clothing and the leftover items that family members leave, clutter elderly people’s homes making it difficult to live in them. As a child and grandchild, I wish I had more time to help my family.
When an elderly person decides to downsize, move into a retirement community or nursing home is often their family's responsibility to organize their loved one’s items. Going through these items can be a physically and emotionally taxing process: Which is why it is often left until it cannot be ignored any longer. That causes the process to have a short time window in which it can be done and is be traumatic for everyone involved.
Problem
Elderly people have clutter and they can be physically or emotionally incapable of managing it.
Target Market
Elderly people living in Texas, who want to declutter home in preparation to downsize or for their passing.
Research
“downsizing can be particularly wrenching for the elderly, who may find it overwhelming to think about letting go of the items they’ve gathered over a lifetime. If a senior loved one is faced with a move to assisted living where they may have less storage space, that clutter in the closet may turn into a stubborn roadblock — or even a justification to resist moving.”
—https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/15-9-5-senior-downsizing-tips/
- The Sentimental Attachment
The beloved prom dress represents the history and memories of the event; it’s not the dress itself. Save only a piece of the dress to make a quilt or display in a shadow box. Scrapbooking and converting photos to DVDs are other ways to save treasured keepsakes without all the extra mess. - The Sense Of Loyalty
Older adults who’ve received gifts from family and friends may be reluctant to part with them. Encourage your loved one to give unused gifts back to the giver or grandchildren. - The Need To Conserve
Seniors are the original green people. Appeal to a senior’s desire to help others. “You went through the Great Depression, now it’s time for you to let go and help someone else.” Counter a senior’s inclination to conserve by appealing to their desire to give back. - The History And Memories
Keepsakes represent history and memories. Encourage seniors to take old photos to a family reunion and share with several generations. Let seniors know they can contribute to the history of their time and leave a lasting legacy by donating to museums and historical societies, a theater and library, or churches and synagogues. - The Loneliness
Stuff can become a misplaced companion. Loneliness may also lead to depression, which makes it difficult for seniors to get organized. Consider the services of a professional organizer and caregiver. For more information, go to the National Association of Professional Organizers at www.napo.net, or visit www.homeinstead.com.
— https://www.caregiverstress.com/aging-issues/senior-hoarding/10-reasons-seniors-keep-stuff/
“Believe it or not, loneliness and fatigue can be reasons seniors hold on to items. Unneeded objects can become a companion for lonely seniors. Loneliness may also lead to depression, which makes it difficult for seniors to get organized. Consider the services of a professional caregiver. And if there is just too much stuff for your loved one to go through, or their health makes it difficult, consider hiring a professional organizer, helping them establish online bill paying, and getting them off the junk mail lists.”
Understand this likely won’t be a one-day event. Take a quick inventory of the house and list what needs to be done. Are the areas your loved one can do on their own like a linen closet or a cedar chest? They can try to organize these areas on days you may not have time to work on a bigger project with them.
—https://www.homeinstead.com/blog/helping-seniors-tackle-the-clutter
Survey Questions
- Age
- What type of home do you live in? (ex. house/apartment/with children)
- Do you feel like you have excess things (clutter) in your home?
If so, do you have reasons for not getting rid of the clutter? - What sort of items build up into clutter in your home?
- Do you have health conditions that prevent you from lifting certain things?
- What emotions do you feel when thinking about going through your belongings?
- Do you have trouble donating items? If so, what are the troubles?
- Where are some of the places you donate your items?
- If you had to downsize your home do you feel you would have help from family or friends in that transition?
- Would you be willing to pay someone to help you go through your clutter?
Survey Results
According to my survey, the majority of elderly people live in a house and said they have clutter. Many expressed they feel sadness or frustration when they think about going through their items. Paper was the number one item that builds up into clutter. According to my survey, 41 percent of participants said they would not have the help of family or friends if they needed to downsize.
Workshops, Sketches & Notes
Pains
I am physically disabled
I am emotionally attached
I am overwhelmed
I am embarrassed to ask for help
Job to be done
I want to feel freedom in my home
Competition
Because friends and family usually do not have the time to continuously help with managing clutter, they may turn to services to help with the process of moving their loved one. Most services such as senior move managers and hoarding cleanout services only offer a one time service. They help the person either clean out their home or move possessions for a weekend or until the job is done. The act of just cleaning the clutter does not solve the problem and It is likely the clutter will build up again because the root problem has not been addressed. These people need a system to make decisions to create a safe place to live. Setting up decluttering as part of a routine or ritual will give the client a system to manage clutter and give them freedom in their own home.
The population of Elderly People is Growing
The population of elderly people is only going to grow and this problem will become worse. The word’s population of people older than 65 is projected to jump from 8.5 percent to 17 percent by 2050. According to the United States Census Bureau “The aging of baby boomers means that within just a couple decades, older people are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history,” Between 2020 and 2050, the number of deaths is projected to rise substantially.
Solution
homerule will assist elderly people in preparation to downsize or for their passing. As opposed to the competition this will not be a one time service. Each client will receive their own schedule based on their preferences. They will also keep the same advisor throughout the whole process. Children and other family members can create a profile connected to the parent's profile to keep track of progress and make payments.
Process
After becoming aware of the service the customer will call or text to schedule their first visit or consultation. This is where the scope of the project will be discussed. After agreeing on a schedule and project scope, the home rule advisor will schedule the next visit. Appointment reminders will be texted to the customer in preparation for the visit. During the visit, the advisor will assist the customer and advise them on what to do with items. This includes gifting, donating and recycling them. The advisor will be the one to take the items and transport them to the appropriate place. If there is an item that the customer plans on gifting, a photo will be taken and it will be sent to the family member or friend to see if they want it. If so, we give the option to ship it to them. After the majority of the decluttering has happened the service can become less frequent or stop altogether.
Prototype
The final solution will involve a website and call center. I prototyped the service with two elderly people and two children of elderly people. During this prototype, I realized that neither the parents or the children would use an app but they would use a website and text messages to communicate. They would like to leave their items to family and friends and paperwork was a major priority for them to organize. If this service was to exist I imagine it being advertised to both parents and children: As children would be likely to purchase this for their aging parent.
