Needing to Downsize?
As we age, we tend to need less "living space" for ourselves. The children have long left home, and there are some rooms in the house where you could just 'shut the door' and still have plenty of living space for you and your loved one.
Do think too about your changing needs:
Have a look at Home Modifications for further suggestions and who to ring for help and advice.
If this is YOU, do also have a think about "Downsizing" :-) You do not have to move from your own community, access to shops, neighbours... It is not necessary to up stakes and physically move to another location!
Tips:
With downsizing, your main goal is to simplify your life. You don't need to get rid of all your possessions, but you do need to pare down the many years of accumulated belongings, particularly when/if you are moving into a smaller home. Keep the favourite things you want to have around and need or enjoy using. If you think about what you Really use in your home on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis it amounts to a fraction of what is in your own home.
The most important aspect of downsizing is doing a possessions review and matching it to your new living space. The following are some tips and suggestions for starting the process of going through years of accumulated belongings in your home.
It might all look like junk to you, but understanding the person's motivation can guide the psychology you use on them. People reared during the Depression tend to save stuff because they "might need it someday." (That would explain my Dad's broken Christmas lights.)
Moving to a highrise? Something for you to think about...
Sorting:
Start with the large items in each room and work your way down to the small items. If you start with the small items, you may get overwhelmed before you even get started. With large items, its most helpful to either prepare a list of your decisions, or use stickers and mark the items as you decide what to do with each piece.
Sort the items in each room as follows:
Keep a list of your decisions, separate the items into separate piles, or mark the items with stickers.
Disposal:
Work through the downsizing process by:
Take your time - Don't Stress it!
Plan to spend maybe one or two hours at a time (at most) working through the downsizing process. This is not a task that you can do for long periods of time at any age there will be too many emotions and memories stirred up because in essence, you are sorting through the years of your life. Take time to recall all the fond memories and to share stories with friends and family. And be easy on yourself :-) and flexible when making decisions.
If you need to discuss with family or friends what to do with certain items or belongings, take time to do so. Also remember that you Can change your mind about any item as long as it's still in your possession. If you have started early and are planning ahead, you should be able to work at a pace that is comfortable for your situation. The downsizing process can be a daunting time. Make sure you approach it step-by-step, until the job is finished.
Ask family members or close friends to help you if possible.
---------------------------------------------------
You can also look at 'Future Proofing' your own home with LifeTec. They have over 30 years of experience with specialist information and advice on how assistive technology can maximise your independence and your and your loved ones safety at home...
Home Modifications are an alternative to leaving your home or moving into a retirement village or nursing home. You Can renovate your home for your current and future needs and add value and functionality to your lifestyle. LifeTec will have one of their specialist occupational therapists sit down with you in your own home and discuss your desires and goals and what you see as your future needs. Using this, a plan of action is presented to you for your personal input and approval. You deal directly with LifeTec. They arrange all building and sub-contracting works. They remain available and encourage your contact at any time.
Lifetec - How it Works
Initial Assessment:
One of their specialist occupational therapists will sit down with you in your own home (Yes, they come to your home on the Gold Coast), and discuss your desires and goals and what you see as your future needs.
Initial Home Visit and Assessment:
The second visit involves their builder coming out with the therapist to your home. Together with the builder, they develop a plan of action.
Plans are developed:
Contractors commence work:
This process is collaborative and they keep you updated on the progress at regular intervals. You can also contact LifeTec at any time during the project.
PO Box 3241, Newmarket Qld 4051 Phone (07) 3552 9000 or 1300 885 886 Fax (07) 3552 9088.
Completion of works:
The builder and the specialist occupational therapist inspect and review your home modifications.
A final visit to make sure you are completely happy:
They will visit one more time in approximately 3 months to make sure you are happy with everything.
====================================== ================================= ===============================
Pros and cons of moving into a Manufactured Home Estate
Last Updated at November 3rd 2021
If you are starting to look at retirement options for yourself and are considering Manufactured Home Estates (MHEs), it is good to have a thorough understanding of what they are and how they function - especially as this option is growing in popularity.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Home Assist Secure is a service for Queenslanders aged 60 years and over, or people of any age with a disability, who can’t perform or pay for critical home maintenance without assistance.
This service provides safety-related information, referrals and subsidised assistance.
Your local Home Assist Secure service can provide information about:
Staff can also help you:
Enhanced support to older Queenslanders during COVID-19
Home Assist Secure will provide extended services to eligible older Queenslanders and people with a disability who need extra support to remain in their homes, self-isolate and continue to access essential services.
As well as home maintenance, repairs and modification work that Home Assist Secure already delivers, service providers can offer further assistance including:
Deliveries of essential items
Home Assist Secure will work with you to ensure that you can access essential items such as groceries, medication, and health products, while you are impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Your local provider can offer contact-less delivery (knock and drop-off), if required.
Regular welfare checks
Home Assist Secure will conduct regular welfare checks if you require to ensure you’re well, have food and medication and are coping with isolation.
Referrals to community support services
Home Assist Secure will connect you to referrals for mental health support, cleaning services and other support services required.
Subsidised assistance
If you’re eligible, you may receive a financial contribution towards labour costs for minor home maintenance or modifications that both:
This assistance may include:
To be eligible, you must meet all these criteria:
www.hsru.com.au/about/faqs/
What is hoarding?
Hoarding means to acquire or have difficulty discarding a large volume of possessions which others would consider useless or of limited value. Since 2013, hoarding has been recognised as a psychiatric condition. It differs from chronic messiness and collecting.
Hoarders may see possessions as important or closer to treasure while others may see them as valueless and closer to rubbish. Hoarding can be viewed as one way to barricading or protecting oneself from the world outside.
People who hoard may have great difficulty discarding possessions and can experience great distress in thinking about discarding or in having accumulated possessions taken away from them.
Hoarding doesn't just affect individuals. Families, friends, neighbours and communities are impacted.
It is not clear what causes hoarding disorder and there is no single answer to this question.
Health, medical and community service providers cite different reasons why people hoard.
Some key causes include:
For people affected by hoarding, reasons or causes may include:
There IS help...
http://www.hsru.com.au/
and
www.catholichealthcare.com.au/en/in-homecommunity/hoarding-and-squalor/
HELPLINE
1300 345 852
I acknowledge the great importance of this information. The information is placed here in the hope that, should you know of someone in your family, neighbourhood or area, that you can alert your local organisation and help this person. It is not their fault. It is a mental illness.
As we age, we tend to need less "living space" for ourselves. The children have long left home, and there are some rooms in the house where you could just 'shut the door' and still have plenty of living space for you and your loved one.
Do think too about your changing needs:
- Do you find it increasingly difficult to coming up/go down the stairs (even if there are only a couple of stairs it can be difficult on your own). Think about having a handrail installed. Would installing a ramp help?
- Would removing the glass shower screen open up the area for you? Think about installing hand rails in the shower area and next to the toilet. It can be all the difference between a 'rescued' fall and one where you fall onto the hard tiled floor of the bathroom.
- Consider lift-off door hinges on bathroom/toilet doors so someone can come in and help if you cannot open it from the inside.
- Non-slip flooring in wet areas including the bathroom, kitchen and laundry help prevent falls, the main cause of hospitalisation.
Have a look at Home Modifications for further suggestions and who to ring for help and advice.
If this is YOU, do also have a think about "Downsizing" :-) You do not have to move from your own community, access to shops, neighbours... It is not necessary to up stakes and physically move to another location!
Tips:
With downsizing, your main goal is to simplify your life. You don't need to get rid of all your possessions, but you do need to pare down the many years of accumulated belongings, particularly when/if you are moving into a smaller home. Keep the favourite things you want to have around and need or enjoy using. If you think about what you Really use in your home on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis it amounts to a fraction of what is in your own home.
The most important aspect of downsizing is doing a possessions review and matching it to your new living space. The following are some tips and suggestions for starting the process of going through years of accumulated belongings in your home.
It might all look like junk to you, but understanding the person's motivation can guide the psychology you use on them. People reared during the Depression tend to save stuff because they "might need it someday." (That would explain my Dad's broken Christmas lights.)
Moving to a highrise? Something for you to think about...
Sorting:
Start with the large items in each room and work your way down to the small items. If you start with the small items, you may get overwhelmed before you even get started. With large items, its most helpful to either prepare a list of your decisions, or use stickers and mark the items as you decide what to do with each piece.
Sort the items in each room as follows:
- items that you want to keep (this includes items you are not currently ready to part with, or items that you definitely know you will want to keep)
- items that will be passed on to family or friends
- items that will be sold via a garage sale or auction
- items that will be given to charity, and
- items that need to be thrown away
- see "Hoarding" at the end of this page
Keep a list of your decisions, separate the items into separate piles, or mark the items with stickers.
Disposal:
Work through the downsizing process by:
- Putting items to be thrown away into garbage bags and putting it out for collection
- Call your charity of choice and arrange for a pickup as soon as you have enough items to justify their making a trip
- Ask family and friends to make arrangements to get their items, or to have their items picked up or mailed to them.
Take your time - Don't Stress it!
Plan to spend maybe one or two hours at a time (at most) working through the downsizing process. This is not a task that you can do for long periods of time at any age there will be too many emotions and memories stirred up because in essence, you are sorting through the years of your life. Take time to recall all the fond memories and to share stories with friends and family. And be easy on yourself :-) and flexible when making decisions.
If you need to discuss with family or friends what to do with certain items or belongings, take time to do so. Also remember that you Can change your mind about any item as long as it's still in your possession. If you have started early and are planning ahead, you should be able to work at a pace that is comfortable for your situation. The downsizing process can be a daunting time. Make sure you approach it step-by-step, until the job is finished.
Ask family members or close friends to help you if possible.
---------------------------------------------------
You can also look at 'Future Proofing' your own home with LifeTec. They have over 30 years of experience with specialist information and advice on how assistive technology can maximise your independence and your and your loved ones safety at home...
Home Modifications are an alternative to leaving your home or moving into a retirement village or nursing home. You Can renovate your home for your current and future needs and add value and functionality to your lifestyle. LifeTec will have one of their specialist occupational therapists sit down with you in your own home and discuss your desires and goals and what you see as your future needs. Using this, a plan of action is presented to you for your personal input and approval. You deal directly with LifeTec. They arrange all building and sub-contracting works. They remain available and encourage your contact at any time.
Lifetec - How it Works
Initial Assessment:
One of their specialist occupational therapists will sit down with you in your own home (Yes, they come to your home on the Gold Coast), and discuss your desires and goals and what you see as your future needs.
Initial Home Visit and Assessment:
The second visit involves their builder coming out with the therapist to your home. Together with the builder, they develop a plan of action.
Plans are developed:
- The plan is finalised and presented back to you for your approval.
- Nothing will proceed until you are completely satisfied with the plan.
- There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
- Shortly after this you will receive a quote for the works.
Contractors commence work:
This process is collaborative and they keep you updated on the progress at regular intervals. You can also contact LifeTec at any time during the project.
PO Box 3241, Newmarket Qld 4051 Phone (07) 3552 9000 or 1300 885 886 Fax (07) 3552 9088.
Completion of works:
The builder and the specialist occupational therapist inspect and review your home modifications.
A final visit to make sure you are completely happy:
They will visit one more time in approximately 3 months to make sure you are happy with everything.
====================================== ================================= ===============================
Pros and cons of moving into a Manufactured Home Estate
Last Updated at November 3rd 2021
If you are starting to look at retirement options for yourself and are considering Manufactured Home Estates (MHEs), it is good to have a thorough understanding of what they are and how they function - especially as this option is growing in popularity.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Home Assist Secure is a service for Queenslanders aged 60 years and over, or people of any age with a disability, who can’t perform or pay for critical home maintenance without assistance.
This service provides safety-related information, referrals and subsidised assistance.
Your local Home Assist Secure service can provide information about:
- home maintenance
- repairs
- minor modifications
- other assistance that the Queensland Government provides.
Staff can also help you:
- employ tradespeople to do repairs or modifications
- plan future work.
Enhanced support to older Queenslanders during COVID-19
Home Assist Secure will provide extended services to eligible older Queenslanders and people with a disability who need extra support to remain in their homes, self-isolate and continue to access essential services.
As well as home maintenance, repairs and modification work that Home Assist Secure already delivers, service providers can offer further assistance including:
Deliveries of essential items
Home Assist Secure will work with you to ensure that you can access essential items such as groceries, medication, and health products, while you are impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Your local provider can offer contact-less delivery (knock and drop-off), if required.
Regular welfare checks
Home Assist Secure will conduct regular welfare checks if you require to ensure you’re well, have food and medication and are coping with isolation.
Referrals to community support services
Home Assist Secure will connect you to referrals for mental health support, cleaning services and other support services required.
Subsidised assistance
If you’re eligible, you may receive a financial contribution towards labour costs for minor home maintenance or modifications that both:
- relate to your health, safety or security
- need to be done so you can remain in your home.
This assistance may include:
- yard and outside maintenance
- small repairs and maintenance
- smoke alarm-related jobs, e.g. installation, battery changes, vents cleaning
- jobs, repairs and maintenance requiring a licensed tradesperson (e.g. an electrician).
To be eligible, you must meet all these criteria:
- at least 60 years old or of any age with a disability
- a Pensioner Concession Card holder
- unable to complete the work yourself because it requires technical expertise or is a risk to your health and safety
- unable to use alternative assistance, such as through:
- the Commonwealth Home Support Program
- the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- family or friends.
www.hsru.com.au/about/faqs/
What is hoarding?
Hoarding means to acquire or have difficulty discarding a large volume of possessions which others would consider useless or of limited value. Since 2013, hoarding has been recognised as a psychiatric condition. It differs from chronic messiness and collecting.
Hoarders may see possessions as important or closer to treasure while others may see them as valueless and closer to rubbish. Hoarding can be viewed as one way to barricading or protecting oneself from the world outside.
People who hoard may have great difficulty discarding possessions and can experience great distress in thinking about discarding or in having accumulated possessions taken away from them.
Hoarding doesn't just affect individuals. Families, friends, neighbours and communities are impacted.
It is not clear what causes hoarding disorder and there is no single answer to this question.
Health, medical and community service providers cite different reasons why people hoard.
Some key causes include:
- family influences and experiences;
- response to significant life events (such as war, trauma);
- difficulty with executive functioning (processing information, categorisation, decision making, memory);
- emotionally driven reinforcement patterns (i.e. where learning is driven by emotions or acquiring possessions can make people who hoard feel good);
- inability to form personal relationships;
- cognitive impairment caused by dementia, alcohol-related brain damage (evidence suggests that between half to two-thirds of people living in extreme domestic squalor may be affected by dementia, alcohol-related brain damage, mental health issues); and
- mental health issues such as schizophrenia, depression.
For people affected by hoarding, reasons or causes may include:
- protection and prevention from other people getting too close;
- creates a feeling of security;
- strong emotional attachment to items;
- a belief that the items are worth valuing and/or might be useful someday;
- a strong desire not be wasteful;
- an intention to sort through accumulated belongings; and/or
- the situation reflects negative feelings about self (e.g. feeling like rubbish, not valued, broken).
There IS help...
- Regardless of the extent of the situation, there are many services and help options available to support both you and your family member or friend affected by hoarding. This includes emergency services such as:
- Police,
- Fire and Ambulance,
- community support services,
- health and welfare services at local, state and federal levels and
- business services such as rubbish removal and cleaning services.
http://www.hsru.com.au/
and
www.catholichealthcare.com.au/en/in-homecommunity/hoarding-and-squalor/
HELPLINE
1300 345 852
I acknowledge the great importance of this information. The information is placed here in the hope that, should you know of someone in your family, neighbourhood or area, that you can alert your local organisation and help this person. It is not their fault. It is a mental illness.