As your loved one ages, the possibility of developing unhealthy habits may increase. Hoarding can be a particularly difficult habit to break, since dementia or Alzheimer’s sometimes triggers it. However, you can clear your loved one’s clutter while still respecting his or her needs. Here are some effective ways to help an elderly loved one who has a hoarding habit.
Encourage Hobbies
Some research suggests hoarding may be caused by deficits in the brain’s frontal lobe. These issues can affect motivation, planning, and social behavior and cause some seniors to become distracted. Help your loved one find new and interesting activities to prevent him or her from focusing on hoarding. Activities such as organizing stamp collections or photo albums can encourage mental stimulation and be less disruptive than hoarding.
Older adults often require assistance with daily activities to age in place in the comfort of their homes. The type of at-home care seniors need can vary. Some need assistance a few hours a day, while others require more extensive around-the-clock assistance. At Assisting Hands Home Care, we tailor our care plans based on each senior’s individual care needs, and the plans can be adjusted at any time.
Be Kind
Remember your loved one isn’t trying to upset you by hoarding and that this condition may be the result of decreased functionality in the brain. By remaining patient and speaking gently, it’s possible to reason with your loved one and convince him or her to remove some of the hoarded objects.
Older adults with cognitive issues or dementia may have difficulty managing the activities of daily life. Phoenix in-home care professionals can assist seniors with a wide array of daily tasks, offering family caregivers the chance to focus on other personal responsibilities or take a break to prevent burnout. Whether it’s for a few hours a day or a few days a week, home care is the perfect solution for family caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed.
Clean Slowly
Anxiety about needing an object in the future can prevent your loved one from discarding it. By taking the decluttering process slowly, you can alleviate some of these worries. Talk to your parent about storing any items not currently being used. If the items aren’t needed for six months, suggest donating them to a charity.
Focus on Safety
Hoarding can create unsafe living conditions for your loved one, making it important to try to discourage hoarding tendencies as much as possible. Try explaining to your loved one that too much clutter can cause him or her to be injured in a fall or lose important bills and medications. By focusing on your concerns about safety instead of trying to control his or her actions, you can encourage your loved one to stop hoarding.
If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a leading provider of home care Phoenix families can trust. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia. Call us today to create a customized in-home care plan.
