Carol Majewski Joined us today as an AARP volunteer to present a program on Downsizing and Decluttering. Carol is a retired Nursing Director at DHMC. She served as the Director of the Operating Room, and then transitioned to a position to enhance the patient experience. In retirement she has been volunteering for AARP and at DHMC. In the summer she spends some time shuttling patients/families/visitors to the main entrance via a golf cart.

Carol Majewski
I will send a variety of handouts that were distributed at the meeting via email. Here’s an overview of her presentation. Some of the text has been taken from the PowerPoint presentation Carol presented.
- Having too much stuff can impede people from relocating or getting health care into their homes. This presentation explored why stuff can be so important for some people and taught us some practical, easy-to-follow tips on downsizing and decluttering.

Photo from AARP
Carol started by presenting some info about AARP.
- With a membership of more than 38 million people, AARP is the nation’s largest, nonprofit, nonpartisan social mission organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.
- Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired educator in her 70’s, with a goal to help older Americans lead lives of independence, dignity and purpose, founded the American Association of Retired Persons in 1958.

Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus (from AARP Powerpoint)
- In 1999, our name became AARP because our focus shifted to all older adults, not just retirees.
- AARP continues to change in response to societal changes, but to this day, remains true to our founding goal.
- Nationally, AARP, Inc. provides many virtual and in-person opportunities for learning, entertainment, and engagement. Check it out at aarp.org.
- AARP NH, with a staff of five people and more than 150 volunteers, offers fun community events to educate and encourage social interaction. We can help you with our Tax-Aide and Driver Safety community service programs. And by using the power of more than 215,000 members, AARP NH is advocating on your behalf for positive social change. You can stay up-to-date at aarp.org/nh.
- 2011 marked the beginning of a large age wave with over 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the U.S. for the next 20 years.
- 15% of America is over 65 right now and in 40 years, 33% of America will be over 65.
- This will be the largest, most powerful, buying group in America.
- This may be the LAST time we will have 4 generations still alive at the same time. Our generations are described as the Silent Generation, Baby Boomer, Gen X and Millennials
- For our older Americans, the age gap between their parents and themselves is about 20 years.
- And for our Gen Xers, they are 30 to 35 years older than their kids.
- The 2 oldest generations have the most stuff and both generations want to pass it down to the youngest two generations.
- We are distinctly different generations, socially & financially.
- Good Run Research interviewed 1,000 caretakers and the thing that caused the most stress was….the stuff.
- We have worked SO hard for all of our stuff….and the cold hard reality is… our kids and grandkids don’t want it.
10 Downsizing Tips:
- Include your entire family in downsizing activities, this will help you learn what is important to them.
- 10-Minute Sweep, rather than looking at all that needs to be done, break it up into small chucks of space to clean and declutter.
- Unpack boxes and bags, if you haven’t used it in months or years, do you need to keep it?
- Everything should have a place to be located in your home…put things away in the proper place or discard them. When buying new items consider one item in yields one item out.
- Do a Four-pile sort, – Keep– Sell– Donate– Trash
- Avoid punting decision making to others. Remember dealing with your stuff will be difficult for your heirs.
- When possible, donate, donate, donate
- Be realistic about the amount of clothing and food you need.
- Pare down photos and papers.
- Safely recycle electronics.
A few more tips:
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Remember, You Can’t Take It With You!
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