Legacy Planning: What To Do With All The “Stuff?”
- Legacy Planning: What To Do With All The "Stuff?" Sean Leary 13:07
When moving parents from a life-time home to a senior living community you can be sure of three things (1) they will have A LOT of “stuff” that they either do not need or cannot take with them, (2) they will not want to get rid of their “stuff”, and (3) they will, therefore, expect to pass this “stuff” onto family. While this can be a special time for passing on meaningful legacy items to the next generation, it can also be a way for mom, dad, or grandparents to simply expect you to hang onto boxes and boxes of “stuff” that they do not need, that nobody else really wants, but they (the giver) doesn’t really want to let go – quite yet… Sort of like when a child moves out of the parents’ home for the first time (see Parenting the Parents above).
How do you help parents determine what items they need to keep or truly want to keep for themselves? How do you help them determine which items are genuine legacy items to be passed on to family or friends and which items are worthy of selling or donating to a charity? It can be an overwhelming task. Where do you begin? How do you begin? There are services available to assist throughout the organization and moving process. Learn how to make downsizing purposeful, meaningful, and easier for all.
