“Moving day and a lighter load: Organizing tips for downsizing” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed Sherry Sherwood, daughter of The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place Member Don Goldberg, and Park Springs Member Move Manager Joey Adams for a story on downsizing and transitioning to senior living. Both Peachtree Hills Place and Park Springs are Isakson Living life plan communities.

Adams assists the members of Park Springs and their families plan their move as well as organize and downsize their collections of belongings as they transition from larger homes into the life plan community comprised of assisted living, independent living, and memory care. Because the task of downsizing can be overwhelming both mentally and emotionally, Adams breaks down the daunting project into 15-minute daily tasks over the course of three months.

“The biggest challenge people go through is getting rid of their stuff because a lot of them are emotionally attached to those items, but I try to create an open living space where we’re not having wall-to-wall furniture,” shares Adams. “Within a month, you see a difference because they get excited: ‘Hey, Joey, we got rid of this. We got somebody to take this.’”

Sherwood found that one of the keys to sifting through a lifetime of memories when she helped her father move into assisted living at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place was to share the process with others. Sherwood and her sister, Debbie Jenkins, made a conscious decision to sit with the memories they encountered and honor them once again.

One factor that eased the transition for Sherwood was knowing her father was going to a place that met her and her family’s expectations for his care. The staff at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place has become like family, she said.

To read the full article as well as 10 tips for downsizing from Joey Adams, you may visit the AJC website here.