How a Home Filing System Can Benefit Seniors and Their Caregivers

Caregiver in Reston VA

For seniors living at home with the help of a home care aide, organization is key.  Keeping cutter under control and knowing where to find important items is essential to having a happy home.  Many seniors who struggle with organization or locating important items may benefit from a home filing system.  With a home filing system, important documents can be stored in an orderly fashion and can be found when needed within seconds.  Seniors can work together with their home care aide to develop a system that is easy to use by all members of the household.  Here are some useful tips for seniors who would like to utilize a home filing system.

1.   The first step is to have the right equipment.  A plastic file box should be big enough to store all of your household documents.  You will also need plenty of file folders that will be easy to label.

2.  Gather your documents and get ready to spend some time sorting.  If you tend to let papers and mail pile up, set aside a time to go through them and dedicate yourself to finishing the project.  Leaving the project half completed will only make it harder for you later.

3.  Throw away all items that are unnecessary to keep.  This means old receipts, expired coupons, old catalogs, and magazines need to get recycled.  If you have items that you no longer need but that contain personal information, shred them before recycling.

4.  Once you’ve gathered all of the documents you would like to keep in a safe place, sort them out by category and then place them in labeled folders.  Some examples of folder categories are: “Instruction Manuals”, “Insurance Information”, “Prescription Medication Information”, “Bank Statements”, “Coupons”, and “Auto Repairs.”

5.  Any very important confidential documents should not be stored in a plastic file box, but in a locked safe.  These types of documents include passports, social security cards, birth certificates, etc.

Once you’ve put together a basic filing system, you’ll be surprised at how easily your documents can be located.  To maintain a great system, always remember to store your documents in the folders right away instead of letting papers pile up on a desk or table where they can easily get lost.  Remember, a filing system can always be changed depending on your needs.  You can easily add or take away folders, add an additional file box, or even implement a color-coding system.  Either way, having a home filing system will add ease to the day of any senior and their home care aides.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Reston, VA, call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. 703-273-8818

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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