There are two things that many seniors have in common: a house that is way too cluttered and a budget that is way too slim. If you are providing elder care for an aging loved one who is experiencing these things, there is a way for you to practice some innovative elderly care and help resolve both.

If your aging loved one is like many seniors, his home is a treasure trove of belongings that he has gathered throughout his life. Many seniors have entire rooms dedicated to the items that they have collected over the years, and even those who are not prone to hoarding behavior are likely to own way too much “stuff”. This cannot only make it more difficult for a senior with mobility issues to get around his home, but it can also make a transitioning into a new home, moving in with a family caregiver, or transitioning into an assisted living facility more of a hassle. Instead of struggling with weeks of moving boxes and filling the trash cans, start clearing out and cashing in now.

There are many ways that your loved one can earn a little bit of extra cash with the items that he already has around his home. Discuss this opportunity of with him and see how he feels with parting with his belongings before making any decisions. If it is imperative to clear out the home, such as if your loved one will be moving in the very near future, explain this urgency and get him excited about the prospect by making plans of what he can do with his extra money.

Some of the ways that your aging loved one can clear out his home and make some extra money at the same time include:

• Yard sales have not gone completely by the wayside. Many people still spend every Saturday morning browsing through the offerings that neighbors put out in their front lawns. Consider holding a yard sale with some of the more unique items in the home, as well as those that are relatively run-of-the-mill.
• Online auction sites are a great platform for selling items to a wide audience. If your aging loved one collected interesting memorabilia or is still hanging on to fantastic retro pieces, start an online auction so that other collectors and enthusiasts have access to these items.
• Many seniors have jewelry boxes filled with broken, outdated and unwanted jewelry items. Even women who were always known for wearing several pieces of jewelry at a time in their younger years often change to wearing only their bridal jewelry in their retirement. Find a jeweler in your area that purchases precious metal such as gold, silver and platinum, and bring the jewelry in for an appraisal. It doesn’t matter if the pieces are broken or even incredibly unattractive. The jeweler will be melting down the vast majority of the metal that he purchases so that it can be used to create new pieces.
• While pawn shops have a bad reputation for being low class or for offering next to nothing for priceless items. The reality is that there are many high quality pawn shops around that have a primary goal not of offering loans to people in exchange for belongings, but rather running a unique and eclectic shopping establishment. This means that they are always interested in buying appealing items to add to their store. This option is great if your loved one has a variety of collectibles, memorabilia or other items that are very specific to a certain audience.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care services in Hunters Creek, TX contact the caregivers at At Your Side Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (832) 271-1600 for more information.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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