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!