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Decluttering for Dementia

Ellen Goodwin, Artifcts
June 28, 2023

Reading time: 7 minutes  

If you’ve ever needed a better reason to stick to or create a resolution to declutter your home, this one might do it: It’s good for your brain. And we’ve seen it firsthand.  

In today’s piece for ARTIcles by Artifcts, we talk openly about facing a loved one’s dementia diagnosis, and how, maybe to your surprise, decluttering can help. We are grateful to include specialist insights throughout from Cathy Rice, certified senior move manager and life-long educator.  

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Dementia is heartbreaking, terrifying, and, so far, irreversible. Even if a loved one is in many ways themself, we know the disease is slowly changing them and shortening their life. I know. I have a loved one who is among the more than 50 million people worldwide with dementia now and already lost a loved one to dementia as well.  

Some of us react to this sort of diagnosis with a desire to do something, anything, to help, to make our loved one’s life in any way better, to take the tiniest measure of control over the disease. We dive into a multi-prong tactical to-do list that we must continuously update as together we progress from diagnosis, to sharing that diagnosis with others, to learning how to manage the disease and being as prepared as possible across legal, medical, financial, and insurance fronts.  

As I sought out my own ways to help, I expected I’d find information about diet, exercise, and social activities, both for my loved one with dementia and their primary, day-to-day care provider. And I did. What I was surprised to find recently while browsing HFC, Shining a Light on Alzheimer's: 5 Brain Health Habits was the hot mainstream topic of decluttering.  

Benefits of Decluttering for Those With Dementia 

You know decluttering well from TV shows like The Joy of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Home Edit, books including Marie Kondo’s famous The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and bins and more from shops like The Container Store. Decluttering to support someone with dementia in some ways is like decluttering for people with normal brain health. Too much stuff can literally be dangerous if we cannot safely navigate our homes. Some of us are also more sensitive to feeling drained by too much stuff lying about around us.  

Of course, when you have dementia, decluttering has other benefits, too. 

      • Reduce stress. Stress reduction is imperative when you have mild cognitive impairment or dementia. And decluttering can mean clearing away some of the to-dos that come to mind when people see stuff to tidy, dust, or keep safe. Have you experienced a loved one with dementia hiding things to keep the item safe? I am sure you have because it's an incredibly common behavior. 
      • Improve sleep. Quality sleep is critical for the brain’s nightly reset. Busy surroundings can lead to busy brains and may even sow confusion in bedtime routines.  
      • Safety, safety, safety. We know, decluttering is about aging well in place for all of us as we age, but it’s especially true for people with health conditions, like dementia, that can make them more vulnerable to confusing and distracting surroundings.
      • Avoiding anything close to hoarding. Keep in mind, hoarding disorder is its own condition, but managing even the clutter of daily life is more difficult when you have dementia because of increased challenges in making decisions.  
      • Purpose. We know finding purpose at any age is important. Here we are talking about giving the decluttering process a purpose to help your loved one part with more items than they might otherwise be willing to do. Purpose might be supporting a local shelter, resupplying charitable builders with tools, or reconnecting with loved ones when you pass down items. You get the idea. 

Decluttering for Dementia

We’ve prepared these tips from our own practical experience helping our loved ones with dementia as we try to help make sense of it all, including one’s surroundings.* In some cases our loved ones were also decluttering to downsize and move. In others, it was more of a practical decluttering, for safety and mental health.  

* We are not medical professionals. If you are considering radical changes to your loved one’s home enviornment, you should consult first with a specialist licensed in dementia care.

LIGHTS ...

Before you start your declutter, check the lighting throughout the home. Living like a cave troll generally does no one very good. But dementia is not only about memory. If you can see well what’s around you, it’s easier to make sense of your surroundings (and of course it’s safer). Make it easy to see the light switches, too. Understanding and interpreting surroundings, like a white switch on a white wall, can become an impediment for someone with dementia. 

Cathy’s Insight: Adding felt pads to any lighting fixture to differentiate the feel of the switch from the fixture itself or a simple icon as a visual cue helps to support the brain's understanding of the item with its function.

… CAMERA, ACTION!

Start from the ground, and work your way up.

What’s on the floor? Stacks of stuff? Wandering power cords? Rugs that slip and shift? Take a fresh look. Then move your eye upward to the surfaces of counters and entry tables. If someone needed to quickly grab onto a surface to prevent a fall, would they have a secure place to grab?  Is there a clear and secured place for common objects, like house keys?

Cathy’s Insight: People with dementia often find comfort in knowing that their stuff is close-at-hand. Create a "command center" within easy reach of their favorite chair for essentials (eyeglasses, books, pencils, fidget items, etc.).  

And about those rugs … if you must keep them, use carpet tape to secure edges to the floor. The same applies to small storage trays, which you can secure with surface-safe tape or museum putty.

Favor simple home furnishings.

As we know stress takes its own toll on the brain; let’s try to minimize the stress home décor can accidentally create. One Arti Member told us, “My loved one was disturbed by a decorative lumbar pillow that had a shaggy fur cover. It looked like a small dog.” Sometimes textures and patterns can be difficult for people with dementia to interpret. Likewise distinguishing whether an object is inanimate. This is why some people with advancing dementia find comfort with life-like pets such as those from Joy For All.

Take it down a notch.

This is about audio clutter. Too much and/or competing noises can be incredibly distracting for anyone, particularly someone with dementia. Think about simultaneous noise from the television, washing machine, and someone on a phone call, for example.

Cathy’s Insight: Taking this point a step further, family, friends, and caregivers should practice standing in front of, and at eye level if appropriate, people with dementia before speaking with them. Get their attention by saying their name and then speak simply and succinctly. 

Set it aside, together. Do not remove it. 

Don’t remove it immediately, if you do not have to, that is. Rushes to declutter in support of someone with memory loss could lead to irreversible loss of cherished mementos that also can serve as visual cues for familiarity and comfort. Is there an alternative way to display the items that the person with dementia says they care most about? Maybe try grouping like items on a shelf or table where they will see them often. For photos, you might even consider a digital photo frame, such as those from Nixplay, Aura, or any of the many other options.  

For items that do not make the cut, if space permits, store them in an appropriate box, and set them aside so you can pull them back out later if needed or as part of a monthly or maybe seasonal rotation. We recommend you Artifct them before they go into the box and tag them to easily recall what you've stored. This approach does not apply to duplicates, meaningless bits and bops, or trash. Consult with your loved one always as well as your own good judgement.

Clarity of Purpose for the Win

Our final decluttering tip is about visual chaos. If you open a drawer and see a jumble of socks, pants, and t-shirts, you could get distracted or confused. If a cabinet has five options for plates, and 10 options for cups, which should you choose? Not only should you streamline what’s inside for simpler decision making but consider visually labeling doors to indicate what’s inside. This gadget could help you get started with easy printing of images from your phone.

Cathy’s Insight: As the disease of dementia progresses, consider only placing the clothes needed for that day in the drawer or use a shelf in a bedroom/bathroom as the place for their daily wardrobe.  

Do you have decluttering tips for dementia? We’d love to hear them! You can contact Editor@Artifcts.com.

Happy Artifcting!

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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

If you are a caregiver or supporting someone who is, you may find it helpful to browse and share these related resources.

Alzheimer's Society, UK: 10 Ways to Make Your Home Dementia Friendly 

US National Institute of Health: Study of Home Modifications for People with Dementia 

Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute: Communication Strategies in Dementia Care  

Mayo Clinic: Clearing Clutter Benefits Your Health and Well-Being

Psychology Today: The Many Mental Benefits of Decluttering 

AARP Michigan: Dementia Resource Guide for Families

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Three Peas in a Pod: Sports, Stuff, & Stories

If you are a parent, a friend of a parent, neighbor of a parent, or contemplating parenthood, you've probably noticed that sports consume a vast amount of time & energy for parents and child athletes alike not to mention money and storage space for all that gear. And then, they get older, and the equipment larger and more expensive.  

We’ve found ways to cope and find the humor in this sporting reality. Surely you've seen bumper stickers like "swim taxi" or heard someone say, "I'll be working from my {barn} office," as Artifcts Co-founder Heather Nickerson often quips as she departs for her daughter's horse riding lessons. 

You may already be using Artifcts as your top ally in keeping track of the key moments, good luck tokens, awards, gear, and other memorabilia you can't (yet?) part with.  

broken baseball cleat without laces    child in hockey jersey and gear standing outside an indoor rink

Click the image to view the baseball cleat or hockey jersey.
 
 
The owners tell us neither of these has been given up (yet)!

Inside the World of Swimming 'Stuff'

Today we're focusing on that last bit, the hall of fame worthy gear, but not from a parent. We're pivoting to the sport of swimming and the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame.

Charles Logan spent the better part of 12 years as the Director of the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at The University of Texas at Austin. And lucky for all who enjoy the phenomenal Olympic-level center, Logan has long had a passion for collecting swim memorabilia. Much of his collection now resides in frames, glass display cases, and special exhibits at the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame, with notable contributions from Texas athletes and their families. 

Picture of an old postcard with a caricature of a swimmer on the front

 
 
 
 
This Artifct is part of a private swim memorabilia collection. Click the image to view the Artifct.

To clarify, the stuff resides at the Hall of Fame; until very recently, the stories did not.

Those stories were locked in Charles' memories of a lifetime of collecting and chasing histories. That of course meant that when massive crowds visit the facility for NCAA competitions and championships, Olympic qualifying events, and regular long and short course seasons (not to mention hours and hours and hours of practice) the swim memorabilia left people to wonder, "What is this?” “Why is it here?" and “How does it all connect?” And for all those who never visit the Hall of Fame in person, it’s simply lost history. 

Joining forces with Artifcts, the 'stuff' now has stories and is ready and waiting to inform and entertain Hall of Fame visitors and maybe even inspire a whole new generation of swimmers. We invite you to a virtual tour of some of those exhibits on Artifcts! 

black swimsuit with white T on it  Vintage USA Olympic Swim Team Luggage, bag and suitcase    vintage swim patch collection on a swim jacket

 
 

And if you're visiting the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame, be on the look out for Aritfcts QR codes sprinkled throughout!  

Artifcts QR code on a swim mannequin

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Have a space in your life like the Texas Swimming & Diving Hall of Fame making you say, "Hmmm?" Contact us at Hello@Artifcts.com to discuss personal concierge options and non-profit and enterprise support. 

© 2022-2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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How a Simple Act Saved One Man’s Most Valued Memory of His Dad

His father was an advertising executive back in the 70s and 80s. Think Mad Men style. He was a bit of a wild man, a creative entrepreneurial sort that had a habit of building and losing fortunes, hustling, taking risks, and living and loving life.  

When he won the contract to shoot a Tiffany & Co. catalog, he was on the spot. He had to deliver on everything from art directing to photography on a dime to get the stunning results Tiffany & Co. expected. When time came for payment, his eye was not on a cash payout that his family needed but instead on a trade: Services rendered for a single Tiffany ring. And the good folks at Tiffany & Co. obliged. 

The Onyyx Stone Vintage Signate ring set in a simple 14k gold band is eye catching. It’s a manly ring. Bold in its simplicity. His Dad wore it everywhere.   

Matt and his father; his father's wearing the black onyx ring

Many years later, on his death bed, he gave this ring to his son Matt to carry a piece of him and his spirit forward. It’s the sort of dramatic gesture you usually only see in the movies.  

Like his dad, Matt wore the ring every day, everywhere, an omnipresent touchstone to his roots.

Then one day, Matt took it off. Out one evening for a dinner meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, Matt removed the ring, placing it in his pocket, to avoid a potential mess while enjoying an exceptionally juicy burger at his favorite local restaurant.

Only later when Matt returned to his hotel room did he realize the ring was missing. No hole in his pocket, but no ring either.

What Happened Next 

What do you do when you lose something?

You retrace your steps.

You picture what you’ve lost, and you try to describe it to those who might help you find it.

You hunt through photos on your phone hoping to find one that shows the ring clearly. But come to think of it, how often do you take a photo that clearly shows a ring you wear unless you’re newly engaged? 

Matt was lucky. He may have had the stress of this lost family heirloom, but he did not have the stress of how to describe this invaluable piece of his father. Matt had Artifcted that ring.

 
CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct and listen to Matt tell you about his father and the ring in his own words.

Artifcts to the Rescue

After Matt discovered he’d lost the ring, he did two things next: 

      1. He shared the Artifct with his insurance company. His Artifct of the ring included photos with the ring clearly pictured along with the story of its provenance. This is every insurer’s dream. Instant notice from a client of a lost item, multiple photos of the item, and details about its provenance. Far fewer emails and calls back and forth to process the claim, less concern about fraud, and a lower stress, more likely to be satisfied, policyholder. 
      2. He shared the Artifct with the restaurant where he had taken it off. The restaurant owner shared the ring photos with his staff to begin the search. Not everyone can easily imagine a ring generically described. Photos help.

Two days later

The restaurant staff came through. They found Matt’s ring in two days later in the parking lot. Dented a little but found! Matt raced back to the restaurant hours before his flight home to recover his father’s ring.  

Matt then shared the Artifcted ring a third time. This time he shared it with a local jeweler in hopes that the ring could be restored to its former glory. Spoiler: It’s good as new!

If You Love It, Artifct That! 

There's simply, truly, we beg you to understand, no time like the present.

We share this story with Matt’s permission as further evidence of how taking all of one minute to create Artifcts for items that you value most in this life can have many returns to you in the future.  

This was never just a ring. This is the ring his father gave him. This is the ring that belonged to the man that Matt wanted to keep alive for his own children to know. This is the man whose actions taught Matt that you must always get paid for the work you do.

This story is not about the ring, not really. It’s about a wild man, a creative, a hopeless entrepreneur and the life lessons he passed to his son, and that his son now will pass to his children.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Every Room Has a Story: Closet Edition

Reading time: 7 minutes 

You may be surprised, but in the world of tough ‘stuff’ to sort through, declutter, and organize, for many of us our closets top the list. Call it what you want, but we’ve learned that along with the many stories and memories those closets hold, closets can store a lot of trauma inside, too.  

Think about the bedroom closet alone. We pack in the past lives we lived in those clothes, past versions of ourselves that fit into those clothes, and cherished pieces and memento boxes that tie us to places or times we want to remember. Maybe we even stash and store the same for loved ones who have passed or kiddos we’ve raised. 

As you surely have guessed by now, in this edition of ARTIcles by Artifcts, we’re closing out our “Every Room Has a Story” series with a focus on your closets. 

Catch up on past editions in the series: Living Room |  Kids’ Rooms Bathroom | Kitchen

A Walk Back in Time: The Red Coat

More than 50 years ago, a young college student in Chicago met the man she was going to marry through mutual friends, as is so often the case. She had one of those personalities that exuded light and energy and attracted people to her. And if that weren’t enough, she boldly wore a brilliant red, full-length, heavy wool coat to counter the long and sometimes gray and dreary Chicago winters. Hard to miss! 

A long red wool coat with large silver buttons

 
 
What's your "red coat," that item in your closet you just can't part with even if you'll never wear it again?

Fast forward to the present day.  

The woman’s husband and one of her grown daughters are in the former master bedroom on the second story of the family home. Even though the new master bedroom on the first floor has been in use for at least 10 years and boasts a beautiful custom closet and dressing area, the old walk-in master closet is still brimming with clothing, old suitcases, and more.  

Hemming and hawing over how to tackle this ‘stuff’ in preparation for a future downsizing move, the woman’s husband spots the red coat. “Oh, you have to take this to your mother.” 

With a quizzical look, the daughter grabs the coat and heads downstairs to her mother. 

“My red coat! Where did you find it?” the mom says, as though she just misplaced it yesterday, when in fact the daughter had never in her 40+ years of life seen the coat. And with good reason, too. The coat, clearly of high quality, had stains and moth holes that suggest it should be retired.  

“You know, I wore that coat when I was in college. Your dad could spot me across campus,” said the mother. “It was fun to be the ‘gal in the red coat.’” 

You see, that coat was a part of a moment in time when their love story was unfolding. It was as fresh in the woman’s mind as anything she’d worn since. She had no interest in downsizing this coat, even after decades of disuse. Despite its bulk and condition, it would be making the future move. 

Stories & Your Closet 

If you want to embrace feng sui concepts of harmony and balance, closets are an intuitive space to start, partly because closets are so prone to chaos. Closets often come with doors, too, allowing us to ignore the chaos for another day. Sorting like with like, using matching sets of hangers and storage boxes, arranging shoes in the same front facing fashion, and the like, are the simplest means to diminish the chaos. But if you truly want to declutter, never mind downsize, recognizing and honoring the stories within, we’d argue, is a critical second. 

1. The ‘Why’ of the Clothing We Keep.

We’re talking specifically about clothing you’ll never wear again. It’s one of our spring-cleaning themes and top targets for decluttering. You know it’s there, even if hidden, the clothing you should recycle or donate. We’re looking for: 

      • Holes, tears, stains 
      • Faded fashions 
      • Ill-fitting pieces 
      • New, with tags, because you had a vision you never brought to fruition, or it simply got buried 
      • Single-purpose pieces (hello, bridesmaids dresses, costumes, and event and corporate swag) 

If you’re wrestling with the sentimental nature of a piece, Artifct that. You’ll feel better. 

Both of our cofounders have Artifcted old suits they wore in their government days. There’s a lot of memories in those suits and feelings of pride and accomplishment. You may know the feeling tied to a key garment and moment in your own life. Artifct that and then donate that to Dress for Success or a similar charity. Hot tip: If it’s a bridesmaid dress you’re thinking of donating, ask the bride before you donate, in case she harbors dreams of a vow renewal one day. We’re happy to save you the potential regret if you didn’t ask!

2. The ‘Why’ of Memento Boxes.

Now the existence and content of some of these keepsake boxes are open secrets, others not so much. But these keepsake boxes and memory boxes, no matter how cute, stylish or feng sui, are vulnerable to fire and flood as well as creatures that could find them munchable. In addition, the details behind what’s inside will easily fade from memory and more rapidly than you’d like to imagine.

 

 
True story: One of our co-founder's daughters recently created a memory box for school. She promises to Artifct first whatever goes into it. Will she? Time will tell. She already has more than 100 Artifcts, so there’s hope.

If you care about what’s in your memento boxes, we implore you to Artifct that. And talk through the contents with them. Have a seat. Share, more than once. Let them know you better. We will never tell you these types of boxes, in moderation, have to go. In fact, we believe everyone deserves a purple bin, yours might just be another color or style.

3. The Why of the Bulky Closet “Clutter.”

Yes, clutter lives in closets, too. We STASH so much in those closets. Take a look and ask about the why behind your stashes.  

A recent closet we were in had stashes of: 

      • Gifts to give “someday,”  
      • Unused frames in want of art or photos, 
      • Old, unused medical supplies, 
      • Brown paper bags of old tax documents and banking records, and 
      • A box of family heirlooms from a loved one who had passed away six years prior. 

The why of stashes often comes down to some form or procrastination. As Matt Paxton likes to say, “Procrastination kills memories.” Procrastination also creates chaos and kills the good intentions in the keeping. 

      • Organize what you want to keep and label it, if that will help you remember it’s there so you can put it to good use. The reason professional organizers love clear bins is to keep the items visible. But if labels do the trick—or a combination of both—go for it! If you are helping someone with dementia to declutter and organize, clear bins and photos have other purposes. Check out this ARTIcles story for insights and tips! 
      • Artifct items from loved ones and share those Artifcted stories so others can enjoy. Plus, if you don’t want to keep it all, your Artifcts become the easy means to ask if others would like to keep the items. Win-win!  
      • Donate unused—and in some cases lightly used—medical supplies through Goodwill or other similar charitable organizations in your community. 
      • If those old documents are more than seven years old, you’ll generally be okay to shred them yourself or at a community shred event. If in doubt, ask your financial advisor. But do not hang onto these where they can do you no good and only create vulnerability if someone were to use the information they contain to access  resources they should not.  
Procrastination kills memories. - Matt Paxton, TV host, author, public speaker

A storage bin for documents organized with labeled file folders can be a better than nothing option, but is nearly as problematic as a brown paper bag. A digital vault, like Trustworthy, can organize important documents via files and images you upload in no time and ensure vital information is accessible to you, your loved ones, and any tax, legal, or other advisors you employ. Bonus: Digital resources can be accessed anytime, from anywhere and you can even receive smart notifications when renewals and updates are required.

4. Special Closet Clutter: Kid Stuff.

We’re talking about reducing kid clutter we’ve found in closets, which admittedly feels a bit like touching the third rail. But hear us out! Do you really need to wardrobe a future generation? How much of it will breakdown or decay before it can ever be used again? And, perhaps most importantly, do you remember why it’s so special? No? Great, out and onward it goes. Yes? You know what we’re going to say: Artifct That.

An Artifct with dresses

 
 
Here’s a great example from our cofounder Ellen. She did keep a couple dresses that belonged to her daughter as a baby and a toddler. Notice we said a couple. But she also Artifcted them with pics of her daughter wearing the dresses to make it oh-so-easy to remember and share the why behind the dresses. CLICK THE IMAGE to view the Artifct.

While sentiment and frugal tendencies can be at play, sometimes you find people are holding onto stuff that their GROWN adults have ASKED them to keep, because they don’t have the space or do not want to take the time or pay the expense to ship it to their homes. Hard no. If you are ready to lighten the load in your home, give your grown adult children a deadline to claim the items. Yes, “adulting” can be hard, but enabling grown adult children to behave, well, like children, doesn’t generally end well. If you can relate, you might want to read or re-read this inspiring guest ARTIcles story from a dad who shared the tough love he showed his adult children during his downsizing experience.

Many of us struggle to bring our habits, best intentions, or even creative brains into play to help us get the job "decluttering" job done. For others, the stories behind the stuff get in our way. But keep in mind as you go room by room that like any muscle, decluttering requires practice. And Articting is here to support you along the way. Object by object as you Artifct you can reflect on what it is, why you have it, and make a decision on what will happen to that object in the future. 

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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