September is a time for new beginnings, just like January, as it has the back-to-school vibe that is inescapable even if you don’t have children or grandchildren in the education system. It’s a time to start on things you have been putting off and generally just get going on your own home projects.
So, if you would like to start decluttering, now is a good time! If you are looking at it and wondering where to start then we recommend the following:
Start small, one cupboard or corner at a time
Schedule the decluttering into your diary
Put on a rousing music track to keep you moving and stop you getting distracted
Do it with a friend (you can help each other) or tell a friend you are doing it, to remain accountable
Always remove items from your home for the waste or charity when you’re done, so you can see the results quickly.
If you’d like a bespoke declutter plan, or you need some professional help, get in touch with us, we can help.
Making the decision to go into a care home is never an easy decision. In-home care is a great alternative, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you need to go into a care setting these are some things to look for when assessing the options:
Activities – if you love singing, but they don’t do this, will they add it? If you love art and can no longer get to exhibitions, do they do something to cater for this? Have a look at the breadth of activities and whether they suit you.
CQC rating – the Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. You should look for a good or outstanding rating.
Is it close to the people who will visit you the most? If those people travel by public transport, is it near a station or bus route?
Does it look and smell clean? Or is it rather utilitarian?
Does it seem like a place you could call home, or just somewhere for a temporary stay?
Are the staff friendly when you visit?
Do you have specific care or nursing needs, and can they meet those needs?
Can you afford it? Don’t forget to have a talk with a financial adviser or eldercare consultant to see if there is anything you haven’t thought of which would help you with the cost.
Ultimately, if you need help to decide where is best for you, then we can put you in touch with an eldercare consultant who can help.
It’s July, and your heating system is probably far from your mind. But now is a good time to get your system serviced. Find out why:
Boiler companies are less busy from April through to August and they are able to book you in at a time of your choosing.
Many (not all) charge less to do the service in the summer, offering discounts because they are less busy and want to keep their work force on the road.
If they find something that needs replacing, there will be more availability to book the work to be done over the summer. This not only gives you flexibility on dates, but it gives you the chance to save up and spread the cost of getting the work done, if you need to.
If you’ve had the service done in the summer, it is more likely to work for the winter when you need it.
We help many different types of people move home, not just older people. Most of our older people are downsizing because they recognise their home is the wrong size or type for them and their lifestyle. But we do get older people who move to a different area and they don’t always downsize when they do that. Just because you are older doesn’t mean you have to downsize when you move. You can take everything with you to another home the same size but in a different location, or one that is laid out in a different way.
So what are the reasons to move area later in life?
· To see more of your children and grandchildren
· To get help from your children and grandchildren
· To be less isolated, if you are currently living somewhere with poor infrastructure
· To access medical treatment that isn’t available where you live
· To live somewhere you have always wanted to live (e.g by the sea)
· To be close to other family members
· To be nearer a specific friend or hobby
Whatever your reason for moving and whatever your age we can get you started on the journey!
Decluttering is difficult for anyone and it’s even harder for hoarders. Hoarding is related to difficult experiences and feelings and it is not possible for a hoarder to ‘just get rid of things’.
Counselling is recommended before commencing any decluttering otherwise the anxiety and pain for the hoarder will be very high and it will be difficult to make any progress towards the end goal.
We have found that having a very specific reason to take a step to declutter and, in conjunction with counselling taking things very slowly, makes the end goal possible. If a hoarder needs to move home and downsize due to the home being inaccessible or finances becoming difficult, then this is a good reason to start the process. But it will need to be taken slowly. We recommend that the counselling starts first but if that isn’t possible, then beginning with a small room for just an hour or two to understand the process can be beneficial too. Often we have found that hoarders will take much of their belongings with them, but seeing it in a new home can have a positive effect in helping them to gradually part with things.
Most tradespeople are honest and trustworthy but it doesn’t matter what our age, we’ve all had a tradesperson who didn’t care, or who was in a rush to do some work for us. And I bet we didn’t follow them up on each of those visits. Imagine then if we ended up with someone who was a bit of a wrong ‘un! How would we deal with that? And how would you deal with that if you were older?
So if you have an older neighbour, look out for them. They may be living with dripping taps, dodgy electrics, holes in the roof, or clogged gutters to name a few, because they are worried about being in their home on their own with a tradesperson or don’t know who to call to get something done.
Some charities like Age UK offer a handyman service, so they are a good place to start to find someone reliable and trustworthy; but for bigger jobs, we all need to look out for our older folk and be sure we are sharing good contacts and helping them feel safe when getting work done.
If you need help in identifying decent quality and reliable tradespeople, please ask us for a copy of our Silver Pages.
Is your admin out of control? Do you have papers everywhere? Do you miss appointments regularly or miss deadlines? Here are some of our top tips to get back on track, whatever your age.
Write it down. If you use paper and pen, great, but have it in one place. If you are embracing digital technology then here are some places to keep track of to do lists:a. Evernote https://evernote.com/b. Todoist https://app.todoist.com/app/c. Notes app on your phone
Put things straight in your diary when you get an invitation or an appointment letter. And if you need to do a task at some point in the future, diarise a time to do it (you can do this instead of writing it on a to do list)
Check your emails and WhatsApps at the end of the day to make sure you haven’t missed anything (we’re guilty of reading but not actioning immediately).
Use your smart speaker to remind you of things and add items to your shopping list (or other lists you create). You can review these online or through your smartphone app or get the speaker to talk to you!
We’re happy to discuss how to make these work for you practically.
So, you’ve decided that the best thing for your loved one (or you) is to get some help with care at home. It could be help with meals, or with personal care, cleaning or companionship, or a mixture of all of these things. If you have more than £23,250 in savings you have to pay for the care yourself.*
We’ve noticed that lots of people seem to think that those providing care at home are expensive, intimating that the extra costs involved rather than privately paying a carer, aren’t worth the money. Here are some things we think are worth thinking about when considering the options:
Employing someone privately means you are responsible for sick pay, holiday pay and finding cover when they’re not there, as well as finding the right person in the first place through adverts and interviews, and then getting employment contracts set up. You might need to find cover at short notice when it isn’t practical to do so. The carer should also set up a care plan for your loved one (or you) but the practicalities of the time they have might mean this falls by the wayside. In short, you might be lucky, but the legal, financial and practical responsibilities can be onerous.
Using a care agency means that you have a management point of contact to sort all sorts of queries and concerns that you may have. They are responsible for training staff and ensuring all legal protocols are covered for compliance and best practice. They will make sure a care plan is in place and regularly reviewed. They also have insurance and will provide any cover for holidays and sickness and ensure their carers are paid. They can inform you of changes to legalities relevant to your situation. They also often put on seminars for family members, such as dementia awareness sessions and other relevant information.
If you are not sure if care at home is the right thing for you, then we can put you in touch with https://eldercareconsultant.co.uk/. We can also help you with agency recommendations in your area.
Do you find you get post that you don’t deal with? It is very boring after all! You do need to open it so it doesn’t get lost, but you don’t need to deal with it straight away. Here’s our video from last year and three top tips:
Open envelopes on the day you get the post
Flatten the post and throw the envelope away
Either deal with it or file it there and then or put the contents in a magazine file to file or deal with later.
For more information on how and why we recommend the above, have a look at our video here:
