Sheila O'Mara

There is a huge group of our population that deserves a shout out! They are our Seasoned Citizens - those that have lived through many stages of life and are embarking on a new journey of the "Golden Years." All seasoned citizens deserve our thanks for the contributions they have made to our society and the wisdom they share with us daily.

Becoming a "seasoned or senior citizen" does not come without changes in lifestyle. Many seniors decide that their current living arrangement no longer works for them. Some may be approaching an age where caring for a house becomes more burdensome than ever before and can no longer be done without assistance. Some may be reaching physical and mental limits on what they can do to live independently or cannot do so safely. Many seasoned citizens no longer have the desire to maintain large homes. These scenarios and more can trigger huge amounts of stress for seniors and their caregivers as they downsize their current living arrangement.

Staging for Seniors has become an opportunity to assist our seasoned community for many home stagers across the country. Home stagers can play a crucial role in helping seniors downsize into a new home, whether that is a smaller house, assisted living, a nursing home or moving in with a child. A stager can develop a plan of action for the family so that the home can be sold for optimum price and in the shortest amount of time. There is so much to consider and at times it can feel like downsizing is an insurmountable task. Reducing a household is never easy and without a clear plan of action, the task can surely become overwhelming quickly. Stagers can alleviate some of the stress involved by developing two distinct plans. The first plan is to downsize the remnants of a lifetime. The next is to develop a plan of worthwhile updates to prepare the home for sale.

Many seniors have lived in the same residence for many years and have the accumulations to prove it. Seniors that are downsizing need to reduce the amount of treasures that they have acquired. The sorting process of what goes and what will be given away or thrown away can take an incredibly long time if focus gets lost. A stager helps provide focus and encouragement, so that reduction time is condensed. There are some seniors that want to keep everything and others that are not mentally up to the challenge. A stager can help simplify the process and easing the burden for those involved.

Once the reduction of possessions has taken place, a stager can prepare the house for sale. If the home has been owned for a long time, there may be updating necessary to remain competitive in today's market. Stagers can determine where money should be spent to get the most return. For maximum profit it is in the senior's best interest to have a house primed to compete with newer homes in their area.

There are many paths that seasoned citizens and their caregivers can travel on their journey through downsizing. If you would like more information about some of the resources are available in this community, please attend a FREE educational forum, "Living Beyond the Golden Years", held on March 11^th from 1 - 2:30pm at The Allegro in Elizabethtown. Please Rsvp to The Allegro by March 3^rd at 270-765-4414 as seating is limited. Topics to be discussed range from Home care, Assisted living choices, Nursing Home Resources, Staging for Seniors, Preferred Memorials and How to Outlive Your Money. Discover the great resources dedicated to the welfare of seasoned citizens right here in Hardin County.

Written for publication in The News Enterprise, February 2009.

Are you living beyond your golden years?

Are you a caregiver who is unsure of what resources are available for your seasoned citizen?

We have the answers!

A team of resources from the Elizabethtown Community are getting together to offer an informational seminar for seasoned citizens and their caregivers. Meet the faces behind the resources and have all of your questions answered in one location.

Resources will include Care Tenders, Tender Touch, Steven Wright Legacy Group, The Allegro, Staged SO Right and Preferred Memorials. Receive info, FAQs, and peace of mind to assist you during this season of life.

Please attend this FREE forum:

March 11th from 1 -2:30pm

The Allegro, 108 Diecks Drive in Elizabethtown, KY.

Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited.

Please Rsvp to The Allegro at 270-765-4414 by March 3rd.

Any stagers, decorators or designers out there that may be looking for twigs, sticks, branches or bunches? I have some amazing inventory for you. You can have it for free but you have to haul it. You are welcome to as much as you can handle. Of course you probably want to see the inventory first so here are some pictures:

Back yard- see the swingset is crushed!

Front yard

This is some of the debris left over from last week's ice storm. We were very fortunate not to have any damage to the house - there were many that did. I spent a few hours outside today trying to clean up and it seems like I didn't even put a dent in it. Maybe I should stick to finishing the office organization project.

It was much prettier when there was actually ice on the trees.

Same tree that was chopped up today!

Okay I am a home stager. I often advertise that I stage not only to sell, but stage to live, stage to work and am even throwing in my hat at Staging for seniors. Today I realized that I could add one more - I have now Staged for Survival.

Sounds drastic doesn't it? Today I purchased a day-glo orange rubbermaid bin that you can't miss - even in the dark. I wanted something that I would stand out even without a flash light. I wanted somewhere to put all of the great items that saved me and helped me survive this week without power.

I have lived in Hawaii with Hurricaine season, in Arkansas with tornado season and in New York with just plain winter. I have always had a survival kit for the various natural occurances that could take place. I didn't make one after we moved to Kentucky. For some reason I guess I thought that there were no real threats from natural disasters. How wrong I was!

Most of the things I could tell you to put in your Survival kit are common sense - batteries, change of clothes, water, candles, a radio. All of the things that you are told you might need in an emergency. I don't want to insult your intellegence but here are a few things that really helped this week:

*A camp stove - little coleman deal that has a small propane canister in the middle and can heat up water or a can of speghettios in no time. Make sure to have a quart sized pan - not just a frying pan. It is hard to pour boiling water out of a frying pan.

* Flashlights with LED lights that are small enough for a child to hold and turn on alone.(If you have children)

* A phone book that is current - needed that on several occasions

* wool socks!!! Not just warm socks, but wool socks like of the Smart Wool variety. It will make a tremendous difference in your outlook when your feet are not cold. All I know is that I ate crow this week with the wool socks. My husband has been telling me for years that the best way to stay warm when out in the elements is to make sure you have good quality socks. I just filed that little nugget of info away in my mental rolodex, thinking I will never go camping - what do I have to worry about? Well when my feet were freezing the rest of me was cold. I had to concede that when I finally dug out my wool socks, I felt so much better.

* Heavy work gloves - these will keep you warm and will not get destroyed when moving tree limbs

* Extra towels - we used them for all sorts of things especially tucking into door and window frames to keep the cold air out.

* A 1000 piece puzzle. It will give you something to focus on aside from your predicament and the whole family can help.

* a can opener and a knife and a metal spoon - don't forget the soap to clean them!

* paper and pencil - you will need to write on something when the radio gives off phone numbers you need.

* Checks from your checking account. When the computers are down, there is no ATM or debit cards at the check out. Thank God we had checks!

* Some kind of hat. Not showering every couple of days is awful - thank God for my baseball cap!

* Travel sized games - they will help pass the time and you won't miss them when they are packed away.

* Toiletries - ESPECIALLY baby wipes and GermX. They are great substitute for cold water and a wash cloth.

* First aid kit with children's Tylenol as well as Motrin.

Of course my frame of reference for this is Kentucky's recent ice storm. I also had a child to keep entertained. Some of you will have babies and many children. Some of you will be alone. Anyway ... this certainly isn't an exhaustive list and you can tailor it to your needs. I am sure that some of you have some additional great tips for me to add to my orange box.

Well I have learned a whole bunch about myself this week. On Tuesday our area was blanketed with a most horrific ice storm. We have been without power since Tuesday night and four days later, I am ready for the power to be back on.

I learned that I am much more dependent on technology than I ever realized. I feel like I had a limb cut off or something. Not being able to communicate with the outside world is crazy. I just worked out my profiles on Active Rain and facebook and then I can't check them. What is the world coming too? Well, I have survived, but sighed a deep sigh of relief tonight when my husband suggested that we go find an internet connection.

I have been trying to make his time useful - although it takes longer because I am cold. Last fall I decided that I would keep my office in my basement. I have a finished basement that gets very little use unless we have guests. I thought that if I had somewhere "to go" then I would be more productive and would also feel that I wasn't looking at my job all of the time. I bought a desk and set out to create the perfect home office. Well all it became was a new dumping place for all of the paperwork I didn't have time to file or unopened mail that I didn't have time to read. I was so busy working on other people's homes, that I grossly neglected my own. By January 1st, the desk became covered with paperwork and I started bringing my computer upstairs to avoid looking at all of the clutter. I also brought home eight boxes of books, supplies, papers, etc from my teaching job that I ended in December and had no place to put any of it. I made a resolution to fix this once and for all.

I thought that when my daughter started school again I would have time to get organized and have the perfect home office finally. Three weeks into the new school year, I had done very little because I was chasing leads or making contacts with prospective clients. I needed to focus. I felt like such a hypocrite. I am constantly telling other people how to have a plan and stay focused and keep their eyes on the prize. What was my problem? It is definitely time for me to practice what I preach.

Then comes the ice storm. I can't get on the computer. The phone don't work. The TV isn't on and I don't want to drive anywhere in this craziness. SO ... time to clean the office. I have started emptying the boxes, filing the paperwork, finding a home for all of the mess I had made. It takes a long time because I can't stay down there too long - it is freezing down there. I have a long way to go and will show pictures once I get it all done. I am a huge believer in before and after pictures. I know that I have so much more appreciation for how I will deal with clients from here on out. Decluttering is a process very few people enjoy and I am going to do everything I can NOT to get in this predicament again.

Wish me luck - hopefully I will finish soon. I am hoping that my new found productivity will help my business and my confidence in 2009 and beyond.