In the past, many of proposed guardianships came from the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, who discovered many of seniors had declined in health while still living at home. This was brought to their attention when workers would go visit seniors to assist with medication distribution or food delivery through the Meals on Wheels program. One of the most difficult parts of being a guardian, has proven to be moving a senior out of the community and into a long-term care facility so someone could care for them 24/7. It was especially hard to move seniors from their homes if they had been married and their spouse had recently passed away. Often the deceased spouse’s belongings still remained in the home. Closets were still filled with clothing on hangers, and coats and hats were waiting to be used for an evening out on the town. It was simply too hard for them to say goodbye to the memories of yesterday.  

During these times, many homes were often beyond hoarding situations—which are health and fire hazards. Guardians often spend hours sorting through homes looking for the necessary paperwork to complete a Medical Assistance or VA Benefits application and set up a prepaid burial account. Typically, hunting for birth certificates, a death certificate for their spouse, military discharge paperwork, bank account information, and life insurance policies. Then comes the cleanout of the house and preparation for it to be listed for sale. This process often takes weeks, because guardians must determine which items are in a condition to send to the long-term care facility with their client, which items (like dishes or furniture) could be donated to an organization like The Salvation Army or Purple Heart, and lastly which items should be trashed.

Today, there are better resources to assist our clients. We managing beneficiaries of a trust, we may be able to recognize when too much “stuff” is accumulating. As trustee, we can also recommend tools to help our beneficiaries begin to pare down their belongings and limit the number of new and possibly unnecessary items being purchased for their home.  

If you, or someone you know, encounters a person who is a hoarder, there are companies—like Wayforth—that help with those situations. You may be inspired by one of Marie Kondo’s books titled The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Ms. Kondo also has a show on Netflix called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. There are also small local businesses that specialize in organization. No matter how you address the situations you face, when the organization is complete, there’s a definite sense of peace. A heaviness has been lifted because you’ll know where everything is and all of the “stuff” that has cluttered your closets and your mind will be gone. Finally, in the words of Marie Kondo, you will have “sparked joy” throughout your home.

A clean and well-organized home goes a long way toward relieving stress, especially for those living with a physical or intellectual disability or mental health diagnosis. So be good to yourself and those you serve by saying goodbye to some of the “things” of yesterday. Happy cleaning!

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