Core Identities and Metrics

I have been thinking about how our client’s core identities and metrics are important in our professional discussions and understanding of client patterns and types. Knowing what some of the basic client components are, will in turn be useful in seeking solutions or strategies.

Core Identities

Our clients will fit in what I like to call Core Identities.¹

Sex, Age, Marital Status, Domicile, Clutter Hoarding Scale, Relevant Life Stages, Medical Status. Pets, Other Interested parties

Here is the “why” of the utilization:

Sex – Communication styles usually vary depending on the preferred sex or gender of the client.

Age – Contact methods may differ depending on technological understanding and preferences. More senior clients may be less able to bend, stretch and lift. They may have visual or hearing concerns. Sensory decline increases clutter.

Marital Status – This helps you to consider legal rights of property items within a dwelling. Does your client have the right to dispose of the spouse’s or domestic partners possessions in the mist of a divorce or separation?

Clutter Hoarding Scale² – This is useful in discussing environmental situations and concerns.

Domicile – This is best described by utilizing the amount of rooms, square footage, levels of a home, type of household. Example – 2,000 square foot, one story, 3 bed, 2 bath home with fenced back yard with one shed and attached garage. It may help to think about a real estate listing for describing the dwelling. You can also consider which of the Seven Types of Households³you are to be working in.

Relevant Life Stage(s) – The Life Stage Scale⁴ is a useful tool in determining where a person is in terms of possession acquisition and disposal.

Medical Status – Knowing any current medical or mental health issues affecting the client or client’s household members will be useful in selecting communication and organizing techniques. Note – this is for more experienced professional organizers who have been receiving education and training through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, ICD.⁵

Pets – Household pets require “living/sleeping spaces”, food storage and equipment. Understanding this component is part of the project is useful. It also helps to know if the household pet quantity exceeds code local code enforcement requirements.

Other Interested Parties – This might include local code enforcement, a conservator, adult child of an elderly/senior adult residing outside of the dwelling.

Facts about your clients at the onset and through the progression of work will help you develop and utilize the best strategies and techniques

Terry Prince, CPO-CD

Metrics

The definition of metrics – metrics are a means of measurements, or the result of something obtained by this.⁶

Sometimes portions of your client’s core identity will change. This change is likely to have some effect on your work process, style and the client’s backsliding. Examples of this are: adding a family member or pet to the home, remodeling to add an extra bedroom or bathroom, an adult could suddenly become under the care of an adult child or move into an assisted living complex. Emerging or changing medical conditions will also affect your work.

I will discuss more on Metrics in a blog post later this year. Be sure to check back for some interesting reading.

Having these facts about your clients at the onset and through the progression of work will help you develop and utilize the best strategies and techniques.

1. First used in ICD Case Study Discussion February 2010 developed by Terry Prince, CPO-CD
2. The ICD Clutter Hoarding Scale co-developed by Terry Prince in 2004
3. Seven Types of Residential Households developed by Terry Prince 2010. See Slide Share Presentation page 4 for more specific information on seven types of households.
4. Life Stage Scale 2010 by Terry Prince, CPO-CD
5. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization ICD
6. Oxford Languages Dictionary on Google” Metrics” definition online retrieved on 3/23/2023

Backsliding – Why we all need to understand this concept!

by terrysthinking August 8, 2022

Maybe – Five is all we Can Handle

by terrysthinking July 10, 2022

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by terrysthinking December 30, 2020

Client Management Strategies, Communication, Communication Strategies, Knowledge, Organizing, Productivity, Techniques, Terms, Thinking

Backsliding – Why we all need to understand this concept!

The definition of backsliding is to regress to a previous state. Nearly everyone has experienced backsliding in a variety of areas in their lives.

Here are some of the reasons for backsliding at home:

• Have a new or reoccurring health problem with yourself or a loved one
• Hold or plan a special event in or around your home
• Must assist a loved one or friend with an event outside the home (wedding, party, move)
• Add something “new” to your home, New Pet, New Person, New Furniture.
• Acquire a New “helpful” tool – Example: Robot vacuum
• Plan a re-model or redecorate your home, (Paint, Carpet, Flooring) 
• Get a new job or project that changes your daily or work week schedule
• Have an in-home maintenance emergency such as a pipe or roof leak, plumbing issue, pest issue
• Dealing with broken appliances – troubleshooting, getting replaced or repaired

Here are some of the reasons for backsliding at work:

• Changing office or workspace location
• New technology or system implementation
• Having to cross train staff or a new person
• Taking on the responsibilities of a colleague who is leaving or being promoted
• A large important project with an impending deadline
• Out of office travel
• Too many unplanned or last minute meetings to attend
• Support staff illnesses or absences causing delays of needed material or information
• Technology failure or system going offline

The best way to cope with backsliding is to accept the inevitable and plan for reduced progress. Acknowledgment and awareness of backsliding means more understanding of the process in your home and work life and less frustration with yourself and others.

PS If you want to know why a robot vacuum means backsliding, it means all floors need to be cleared of objects it can “suck up”, get stuck on or get lost underneath. Time will be spent searching for the robot who is hiding below something. Usual lost areas include bookcases, dressers, beds, closets. Items that a robot can “suck up” include bed linens, towels, clothing-especially long dresses or robes. Robot vacuums will also get stuck on some floor vents or behind a chair. Don’t get me started about robot vacuums and pets…. However, once a robot vacuum is understood and your home designed to accommodate it, the robot vacumn becomes a great time saving device.

Organizing Books and Principles

Professional Organizers have been tearing up the social media airwaves with their thoughts on the latest book entree into the organizing world. Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is the latest star in a long line of New Concept books.  Concept leaders include Stephanie Winston, Julia Morgenstern, Peter Walsh and now Marie Kondo.

Here is a table to help review the New Concept – Home Focused Organizing Books. Be sure to take note of the lower part of the chart which lists the subset of authors who have sold to specific markets and have also done extremely well.

This is a previously published blog post from 2016.

Math and Clutter – Let’s Do the Math!

Do you know April is Mathematics Awareness Month? This is a good time to do some mathmatical analyzing of your belongings. Here is a clutter math test.

Try this math test* for any object within your home:

1) Start with the positives:

Does the item bring you joy, add 5 points
If the item has sentimental value, add 3 points
If you use the item often, add 2 points                                                                                            If you know you’ll need the item later, add 2 points

Add the total positives:                                                      _______ Positive points

2) Now start subtracting the negatives:

If the item takes up a lot of quality space, subtract 1 point                                                          If the item needs to be fixed, subtract 4 points
If you have more than one of the item, subtract 2 points.
If you often forget you own the item, subtract 2 points.
If a loved one would appreciate the item more than you, subtract 1 point.

Add the total negatives:                                                 ________ Negative points

3) Do the final math. 

Subtract the negative from the postives:              _________Total Points.

If you come up with a total positive number,  by all means plan on keeping the the item. If you reach a negative total or zero, it is time to consider donating, selling or recycling the item.

*Clutter Math quiz Adapted from  Shelf Genie

The Gentle Art of Death Cleaning – A Review

I finally got hold of the book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson and here is my review.

The book is very gentle in tone and leaves the message that “death cleaning” can be started at any age and the sooner the better. Death cleaning being the sorting and organizing process to cull, reduce, recycle and discard your worldly possessions.

Margareta continually describes herself as between the age of eighty to one hundred. Initially, I  found this very endearing at the onset but rather repetitive towards the end. The author has moved internationally many times and has performed the process of sorting and reducing many times during her life journey.

Her approach is very toned down and “gentle”. This is a good book for professional organizers to recommend to their clients over 50. Margareta looks at death cleaning as an opportunity to spare your relatives and others from difficult decisions and the actual hard work of clearing out your stuff.

Margareta does bring the traditional gender roles attitude towards death cleaning – believing it to be more of a woman’s job than a man. I think we can forgive her for this since she is between eighty and a hundred years of age. However, I think she understands this is changing with the younger generation.

In the latter part of the book, she discusses written communications, photographs and even digital communications. Margareta says “Although our belongings can bring memories to life, it becomes much more difficult with photographs and written words.  She asks “Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?”.  If she answers no, then it goes into the shredder. However, before it gets shredded she takes time to reflect on the even or feeling to know that it has been part of her story and life.

Having just spent several months, working on compiling my father’s memoirs, I have some mixed feelings about waiting to sort photographs and letters. I’d like to suggest we put some time aside, perhaps in the cooler weather months for sorting photographs and letters as a middle age project instead of at the very end of our life or when in the elder years. The volume of letters and photographs are still extensive in the pre-digital age. There is an abundance of treasures for family history or genealogy waiting to be gleaned.   Waiting too long means the potential loss of valuable information.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is the book to help you get motivated to start your cleaning and help save your loved ones their own precious time to take care of stuff you do not want anymore.

Cleaning Distinctions – Let’s Make Them!

One of the difficulties we face as we age is seeing and smelling the dust, dirt and general debris. Sensory decline in older adults increases clutter potential. 

Make a distinction between light housekeeping and general housekeeping and deep cleaning services. Make a push for twice a year deep cleaning to your older or physically challenged clients.

For someone who is aging, especially those who are unfamiliar with housekeeping services, they may think “light housekeeping’ is good enough. But it really isn’t.  Light housekeeping services which are often provided as part of in- home care provider contracts, are just that. Light! Contracted Caregivers don’t seek to do more than is in their required contract. They may in fact be discouraged due to liability limits to do more.

Deep cleaning which involves lifting or moving the heavy furniture (to vacuum the carpet or floor below), dusting the heating or air vents and baseboards, is a household chore that needs to be done at least semi- annually.

Another area to observe for deep cleaning is the computer desk and  television corner. Older PC’s and TV monitors are notorious dust bunny attractors. Fans and air vent areas need to be checked and cleaned for dust build up.

Cleaning out the refrigerator is also a deep cleaning chore. In fact this is not an easy service to find help for. Deep cleaning a refrigerator can take an hours worth of time.  Light housecleaning services do not offer or desire to provide this helpful service.  Often this is because they don’t want to get into a battle with the homeowner about good food and bad. Reaching into the back or bottom of a refrigerator is not an easy job. Many refrigerators have various parts that need removal for deep cleaning and putting them back together is often a puzzle.

In-home servce intake providers (often LCSW) or professional organizers need to start serving as educators. At the onset of client work state firmly that a household will need to get some additional cleaning services in order to keep the house clean and safe, not only for the client but for the contracted caregivers.

Clutter is the Cholesterol of the Home

I ran across this interesting metaphor for clutter – Clutter is the Cholesterol of the Home (1) . After searching the web I came across earlier usage of this metaphor by Maria Cilley – The Fly Lady in her 2002 book Sink Reflections.  On page 25 she states Clutter is to our home as Cholesterol is to our arteries.

Her points in the book:

• Clutter invades the pathways of our homes
• Clutter causes stress in your life
• Clutter decreases joy in living
• Clutter pushes money away from you
• Clutter destroys closeness in families
• Clutter is a result in overindulging in stuff
• Clutter causes hearts to harden

Try using this metaphor with your own home or chronically disorganized clients.

Are there any other metaphors you use to describe clutter?

 

1  LA Times Opinion Article of 2013  by Howard Mansfield titled An American dilemma: Your clutter or your life.

Home Organizing Notable Authors

Professional Organizers have been tearing up the social media airwaves with their thoughts on the latest book entree into the organizing world. Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is the latest star in a long line of New Concept books.  Concept leaders include Stephanie Winston, Julia Morgenstern, Peter Walsh and now Marie Kondo.

Here is a table to help review the New Concept – Home Focused Organizing Books. Be sure to take note of the lower part of the chart which lists the subset of authors who have sold to specific markets and have also done extremely well.

Tell me what you think. Have I missed anyone in the general audience home organizing category?

Sensory Decline Increases Clutter

The senses of smell, taste, vision, hearing and touch are taken for granted by many. However,  as one ages,  some sensory decline may occur. I recently gave a presentation in which I discussed sensory decline and it’s effect on clutter and disorganization in relationship to the aging client.

Smell and Taste

• Doesn’t smell rotting food/trash
• Doesn’t smell mildew or dirty laundry
• Unsure if perishable food is “good”

Thirty percent of American’s over the age of 70 have experienced some form of problem with their sense of smell.  Problems with taste, although less common, often appear in older adults.

Vision

• Doesn’t see expiration dates on products clearly
• Doesn’t see “spills” around toilet or kitchen sink
• Mail processing takes longer due to changes in vision
• Doesn’t see dirt or dust

Approximately one in three adults over age 65 have vision reducing eye disease.

Hearing

• Doesn’t hear sounds of  invasive pests in attic or basement
• Doesn’t hear dripping pipe or faucet
• Doesn’t hear warning beep of household appliance or timers

One third of adults between ages 65 – 75 have some form of hearing loss.

Touch

• Unsure if item is too hot
• Hard to pick up small objects or physically sort small objects
• Increased incidences of  cuts or scratches because client does not initially feel sharp edges, chipped dishware, or broken items on floor

Keeping The Clutter- Hoarding Scale in mind, these issues are especially important to explore when working with aging Level II – Level V residential client homes.

PS – check out my presentation on Seven Types of Residential Households

The Three Losses in Five Years Syndrome

Over the past 10 years, I have come across a subset of individuals who begin a sudden onset of chronic disorganization. These are individuals who are serving as family caretakers who have experienced at least three significant losses in their life over the span of 5 years. This subset has usually served as primary caretaker for either parent(s), spouse or sibling(s). Many of them also serve as the executor of one or more of these estates. Many of these individuals seem to take about 7 to 12 years after the final loss to come to terms with this in their life.

What I would like to see is a more active approach to treating this, more on the onset prevention than as an after effect treatment.

It would be beneficial to have physicians and their staffs work to identify caretakers who are already at two losses in five years, and encourage them to get additional support through grief counseling, caretaker support group participation and for those financially able, consider the services of a skilled professional organizer. A skilled professional organizer can do wonders to help the “primary caretaker client ” in terms of time management, goal setting, project planning and management. Many professional organizers can help establish bill paying and document management systems to handle the growing paperwork that complex and long-term medical conditions usually entail as well as documents for estates probate. A professional organizer can help the client simplify his or her life and environment as well as serve as a body double for difficult and often procrastinated tasks.

While a professional organizers services are not inexpensive, they are a valuable tool that may help the primary caretaker live a more vibrant and fulfilling life while and after experiencing heavy losses in their life.

The Three Losses in 5 Years are primarily death losses. For some, however, one of those losses can be the loss of a pet, divorce or significant job loss.

I believe more research and education is needed in this area. Let’s hope that this syndrome can be more clearly understood and helpful strategies for success developed and promoted to the general public.

 

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