Organizing Your Kitchen-Safety First!

So, are you getting control of your clutter? How’s the organization coming along? Here’s what we’ve covered so far.

Why Get Organized?

General Organization 101

Caregiver Organization Books and Papers

Conquering the Clutter in Your Closets

Organizing Your Bedroom

Today, we turn our attention to the kitchen. A neat and well organized kitchen can save lots of time. Toss in some deliberate meal planning and you will gain at least an hour, if not more per week.

However, from a caregiving perspective, you want to first and foremost, make sure that the kitchen is a safe place. It is for this reason that I’ll dedicate today’s post to safety concerns.

If there is any question with regards to proper utilization of knives, scissors or small appliances like blender, mini-choppers, food processors, etc. then they should be put out of reach.

Give serious attention to the “junk drawer.” It’s an accident waiting to happen. Screwdrivers, scissors, knives and matches can cause major problems. Even seemingly innocuous items like pencils, erasers, pens and safety pins can be problematic.

Consider childproof latches on cabinets where cleaning supplies and medications are kept.

Kitchen rugs are cute, but can be a real hazard. Be sure they are non-slip. Also watch to see if your loved one’s depth of perception is off. Depending on the color or texture, your loved one may feel as if he or she has to step up or down to properly negotiate the carpet. This could result in injury due to slip or fall. At some point throw rugs may need to be thrown away.

The stove, oven, dishwasher and garbage disposal are also potentially dangerous. The stove and oven are self-explanatory. Burns can occur and damage can occur via the dishwasher if not properly used. A confused person can easily get his or her hand or something else caught in the garbage disposal.

You will have to adjust your own safety measures depending up on your loved one and where he or she is in the disease process.

Just think, “safety first” AND to be willing to err on the side of caution as you battle the monster, Alzheimer’s disease.

               

Conquering the Clutter in Your Closets

My excuse is that I need more closet space. Be it the kitchen, hallway, spare room or my bedroom, I just don’t have enough closet space. Of course, the problem with that argument is that I know people with half the space I have and somehow they manage to be much more organized than I am.

Then there is the fact that McMillan and Company Professional Organizers say that, “about 80% of clutter is due to disorganization NOT lack of space.”

De-cluttering your closets is a great place to start, that way, you can have space to put things away as you get organized. Because I’m tackling the kitchen in a separate post, I’ll stick mostly to closets in the bedroom, spare room and hallway.

First of all, it isn’t going to help to just shift items from one place to another. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit. I bit the bullet last year and got rid of all of my “fat” clothes. That gives me great incentive to watch my weight because I have no “plan B” and I sure don’t intend to actually go and purchase any larger sizes. Next, if you haven’t worn it or used it for a year or so, get rid of it. The exception would be formal wear or items used yearly, such as holiday items.

After you have tossed out several items, go through and see if there is ANYTHING else that can GO.

Now, as a caregiver you may be responsible for your loved one’s living space (if you aren’t now you probably will be at some point). This is a good time to purge. Keep the items that are comfortable and easy to get into and out of. I know of some people who put complete outfits together, so that their loved one (or caregiver) just pulls out one hanger and everything is there.

Next, make a plan. Bedroom closets, particularly have several categories of items: clothes, coats/jackets, shoes, belts, ties and purses. Some people categorize by color or by season. I am not sure it matters HOW you categorize, but it is important to get your own organizational set up. You might have to pick up some hangers, tie/belt rack or shoe organizer. Of course, you can also purchase a closet organizing system as well. Whatever your plan, make this your mantra. “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

Finally, you have to maintain your area. Give your closets 15 minutes per week of “maintenance.” That (well spent time) should enable you to get anything in order that isn’t in its place, remove items that don’t belong and adjust anything that isn’t working.

Happy Organizing. I promise that clearing the clutter will help in your battle against Alzheimer’s disease.

               

General Organization 101

Yesterday, we talked about why caregivers need to get organized. The primary benefits were the time to be saved because of he decreased need to search for misplaced items and time saved in cleaning home and office with less clutter.

Cleaning professionals say that getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40% of the housework in an average home.

If you are like me, you recognize the need for getting organized, you just can’t imagine that you have the day or d-a-y-s that it will take to get everything in order.

Time getting organized is time well spent. One hour spent getting your life in order could save you several hours later. So, let’s get at it.

General Organization Tips:

Start in an area that is really important to you. If you begin your organization in an area that you really need to be clean, it will make you feel better and probably immediately increase your productivity and overall well being. There is nothing like walking into an area that was previously cluttered and seeing it clean. That feeling will be multiplied the moment you walk in and can actually FIND something without spending 10-15 minutes or more searching.

Take baby steps. Instead of dreading that you have to spend a day cleaning your office, plan on spending 15-20 minutes each day for a week. First of all, you’ll use your time wisely because you know you will only be there for a short time. Secondly, you will be able to get a feel for what really needs to be done in the area.

Don’t be afraid to THROW things AWAY. When in doubt, toss, sell it or donate it, but let it GO. My general rule is that if I haven’t worn it or used it for a year, it’s got to go. This is a good time to select a charity and give, give, give. We are working on our basement. My goal has been to have the Vietnam Veterans of America to pick up once a week. That forces me to go through at least a few boxes or a small area to have something for them to take away. I schedule the pick-up in advance instead of waiting till I have something. That way, I am on the hook to get a few boxes ready to go.

Get Creative. Consider a yard sale, online swap site or ebay. Think about having a friend to help you for an hour and then you do the same. You get some help, some socialization and you’ve put in a little more time than you usually do. Two hands and heads are better than one.

Tomorrow…more organization tips!

What about you? How do you get organized? Do you need help getting organized? What is your biggest barrier to decreasing clutter and getting organized?

               

Why Get Organized?

Have you ever wanted everything around you to stop for a period of time, say a day, week month or longer, just so that you could get a handle on all that you have to do?

Wouldn’t that be the best thing? I mean, we could catch up on everything from giving some attention to the junk drawer to the weighter matters like making that eye doctor’s appointment, calling the adult day care center to see if it’s a fit for your loved one or rallying some family and friends to give you some much needed help. Maybe we could take the time to consider the future beyond dinner tonight and tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment.

Unfortunately, time keeps going and we seem to get further and further behind. AND new things keep coming up. So, what’s an already stretched to the hilt caregiver to do?

Get organized. The very thought of it gives me a headache. Yet, I know that it is very important. Being organized would help as you battle Alzheimer’s disease. Check out the following stats from McMillan and Company Professional Organizers and the National Association of Professional Organizers:

The average American spends one year of his life looking for lost or misplaced items at home and in the office. US News and World Report

According to the American Demographic Society, Americans waste more than 9 million hours each day looking for lost and misplaced articles.

For every hour of planning, 3-4 hours are saved from redundancy, waiting for information, not being prepared and poorly managed tasks.

About 80% of the clutter in your home or office is a result of disorganization, not lack of space.

Cleaning professionals say that getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40% of the housework in an average home.

Given the above stats, we have good reason to get organized. We’d have less housework (my personal favorite) and more time because we wouldn’t lose precious time looking for things.

Now, as caregivers, the issue sometimes causes us to see double. I remember when my mom was caring for her aunt who eventually moved in with us. Auntie got rid of her furniture, but the rest of the “stuff” found its way to our home, which, by the way, already had plenty of “stuff.” There is also the issue of helping someone who may be moving into your home or into a care facility to de-clutter and pare down.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about specific ways to get organized. Yes, it takes some time, but in the end it SAVES time and frustration. In the meantime, share your tips. Are you organized? What are your space and time saving ideas?

Share your photos! I’m looking for pictures of caregivers and/or your loved ones. Send the photo and a short (1-3 line bio about the people in the photo).

See you tomorrow with some time and space saving tips!