April 9, 2011
Event features downsizing ideas for older adults
Speakers to offer practical tips, personal experience.
By Heather Schultz
MORE INFORMATION
What: “Downsizing Tips for Older Adults”
When: 8:30-10 a.m. April 28
Where: Lutheran Life Villages Fort Wayne campus, 6723 S. Anthony Blvd.
Cost: Free and open to the public. Includes a complimentary breakfast.
For older adults struggling to organize and minimize their households and possessions, Lutheran Life Villages will hold “Downsizing Tips for Older Adults” as part of its guest-speaker series.
The April 28 event, which is open to the public, will feature northern Indiana's only Certified Professional Organizer, Emily Fitzgerald, who will share tips on downsizing households and the positive effects of a simpler home environment. Fitzgerald, owner of Organized Living Solutions, said “a lot of people want to move from larger houses to smaller ones…but what holds them back is seeing too much stuff around their homes.”
A second speaker will be Joan Skal, who has lived as an independent-living resident with her husband, Michael, at Lutheran Life Villages since 2009.
Skal will discuss her personal experience with downsizing and how it allowed for a fuller social life.
“Since we don't have the burden of home maintenance, Michael and I can participate in things we enjoy and stay active in the community,” Skal said. “Fort Wayne has a lot to offer, and we like being able to take advantage of it.”
Offering practical solutions, Fitzgerald also will explain ways to “declutter” homes. Some suggestions include starting with the least- used rooms, which may be less disruptive. Fitzgerald also encourages ridding the home of 80 percent of its total possessions.
“People don't realize how much stress clutter can have…it's an emotional process, but once they start clearing stuff out, they're often amazed how good it feels … downsizing makes things so much simpler,” Fitzgerald said.
Many times clutter can even be a safety hazard, she said, adding that it's important to use a “team approach,” finding family and friends to help in the process.