ReAnn Rothwell’s Money Saving Ideas, Tax & Organizing Tips

According to Kelly Greene at The Wall Street Journal:

“Hoarding isn’t a new problem, but it’s getting more unwieldy as the number of people age 85-plus — the fastest-growing segment of the population — increases. Now a new approach to helping hoarders deal with their possessions is having a serendipitous side effect. Professionals are unearthing treasures kept by a generation that lived through the Depression and was brought up to save and reuse as much as possible. The discoveries are helping reunite families with lost possessions — and, in some cases, illuminating family and social history.

Aging and hoarding go hand in hand. Individuals lose energy for cleaning their homes, and trash piles up around them. No one tracks the number of elderly hoarders, but social agencies, fire departments, legal-aid groups and professional organizers have banded together to create a “hoarding task force” in at least a half-dozen places, including New York, Los Angeles and Fairfax County, Va.

Landlords and families have long favored a simple line of attack when it comes to hoarding: Get rid of everything — as quickly as possible. But professional organizers, cleaners and senior movers like  are now embracing a go-slow approach. They gently weed out actual trash and save what matters most to their clients. The goal is to make older people’s surroundings safe enough so they can remain in their homes, yet keep the familiar.”

Please see the entire article at: The Wall Street Journal Online:

“Grandma, the Packrat: New Approach Finds Pearls Amid the Junk

    Declutterers Reunite Hoarders With Buried Possessions; Diamonds in the Luggage“      By KELLY GREENE

Is there a person in your life who needs compassionate help with this problem? Think about how you can really help them - not just go in & throw their treasures away. You could be throwing away family history and heirlooms that can never be recovered.