Posted by fallsfall on March 10, 2004, at 9:25:44
In reply to Re: Just remember to take care of yourself » Karen_kay, posted by Dinah on March 10, 2004, at 8:44:25
I can relate to the hoarding. My dad has stacks of old magazines everywhere. My mother couldn't cook Thanksgiving dinner at her house because he wouldn't clean his junk off the table.
Maybe this would be an "opportunity" in the hoarding department. Do they have a room that isn't used? Could someone (preferably not you!) get some packing boxes and carefully put the stacks that are in the way into boxes. Label them carefully. And stack them in the unused room? This way you aren't throwing them out, but you are getting them out of the way.
One trick I used to use when I was working was my "trash pile". Instead of throwing papers away in the wastebasket (Oh, no!! I might need it sometime again!!!), I stacked them on a shelf in my bookcase. And I DID go back to that stack on a regular basis and retrieve stuff... But when the stack was so tall that I couldn't put anything else on it, then I would throw away the BOTTOM HALF. I figured that if it had remained in the pile for long enough to get to the bottom half, that I really wasn't likely to need it.
Maybe you would need to save the top 1/4 (or whatever) of the piles in a more accessible place, in case they wanted to get at that stuff. Could you sell them on the box idea by pointing out that it will PROTECT the stuff?
No, I haven't done this with my parents. My sister had a business for a while where she was an "organizer". She set up office procedures, but also worked with individuals on their home "stuff". I know that she has been trying to work with my dad. Their house is big enough so that you can still move around, so it doesn't seem to be a necessity for my dad.
poster:fallsfall
thread:322154
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040305/msgs/322856.html