Home Organization Tips for Seniors

Senior couple packing box, looking at picture frame

Keeping your home well-organized is essential for any stage of life, but it is especially important for seniors. Keeping the home clutter-free and easily navigable is key to a long, healthy and enjoyable life for several reasons: First, falls are the leading cause of non-fatal and fatal injuries for the elderly. Second, recovery becomes more serious and lengthy as we age. Here are some tips from our continuing care retirement community in Sussex County, New Jersey:

Raise your storage height. As we age, we lose flexibility and strength, which makes bending down to pick up boxes more difficult and poses an injury risk. Place boxes and stored items no lower than upper-thigh height and keep lower areas clear.
Keep important documents together. Sorting through papers can be a mammoth task, but it’s also a very important one. Recycle anything unimportant to get rid of clutter and reduce fire risk. Place passports, insurance policies, wills, powers of attorney, and social security, tax, home and car documents together in designated folders inside a specific cupboard or desk at home.
Medication sorting and list. Sort through all medications in the home and remove all that are expired. Make a list of all the medication and dosages your loved one is currently taking and attach it to the fridge along with any important notes. This is very useful for tracking medication and for providing doctors with essential information on your loved one’s medical status. Medication should be sorted in day-of-the-week pill boxes.
Remove clutter, add light. It’s easy for clutter to build up in the home, especially if your loved one has lived there for decades. Unfortunately, it presents a very real tripping, health and fire hazard, so it is important to sort through belongings and keep spaces clear. This is especially important in bedrooms, passageways and on stairs. In these spaces, the floor should be kept as clear as possible, carpet should be perfectly flat, and without throw rugs. Additional lighting should be added to ensure visibility and easy around-the-clock navigation. A press-on or bedside light in the bedroom eliminates the need for seniors to search in the dark for a wall light.

Comfortable, vibrant, independent senior living in Sussex County

Bristol Glen, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Sussex County, New Jersey, offers seniors independence, comfort and a vibrant social life. Bristol Glen is part of United Methodist Communities, a ministry of over 100 years and experts on senior living.