An Objective Partner

Mary was in her 80’s and had never married. She had been living in her home for 40 years. No longer able to manage her house, Mary decided that she needed to downsize. She had moved into a senior’s apartment but had yet to sell her home. The home needed a thorough cleaning, and the house was full of unsorted assets which required attention. Mary was neither physically or emotionally able to handle the task and sought help.

In our first meeting with Mary, we learned that she was an only child and had no relatives. None of her friends were physically able to help with her move as they were in their 80’s as well. However, she had designated two friends as Powers of Attorney and future estate trustees. Mary said she didn’t know where to begin after having lived in her home for so long and was grateful for our assistance.

From the beginning, Mary struggled to part with things from the house. She had trouble deciding what to take to her new apartment and often had to be reminded that she was now living in a much smaller space. She was also reluctant to throw away items with low or no monetary value, such as old magazines or clothes, so special consideration was required before donating or throwing anything away. Additionally, Mary having some difficulty with her memory and often forgot previous sorting sessions or decisions she had made.