A Honu Space

Dementia does not always look the way people expect it to.

My dad looks great. He walks, stays active, talks to people, prays with people, volunteers and can have a great conversation.

And he is living with dementia.

Dementia affects memory, thinking, judgment and the ability to manage everyday tasks. Someone can still look healthy and capable while needing more support behind the scenes.

That is where we are right now.

He can still do many things for himself, but my role is changing as his needs change.

**He looks great. That isn’t the problem.**

#FactualFriday #DementiaCaregiving #AlzheimersAwareness #FamilyCaregiver #Maui

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My dad came to Maui for his second Walk to End Alzheimer’s this year! 💜

I have supported families living with dementia for years. I walked through it with my mother-in-law. I see it with clients. I know there are different seasons to this disease.

But knowing that and watching your own dad move into the next season are two very different things.

I am supporting him with more now, including his finances, medical decisions and things that used to simply be his to handle.

Living 2,896 miles away is hard.

When I picked him up for this visit, I knew I was seeing the best version of where he is today. And I also knew that a week later, he would be seven days further into this disease.

So I held onto every moment.

We laughed. We volunteered. We went to the beach. We spent time with people who love and support us. We had hard conversations and fun ones.

Frustrating, challenging and wonderful, all at the same time.

I know I will miss these moments someday. 💜

#DementiaCaregiving #AlzheimersAwareness #FamilyCaregiver #Maui #AHonuSpace

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What does A Honu Space actually do during a household clear-out?
I sort.
I organize.
I pack what the client is keeping.
I separate donations by destination.
I coordinate movers and haulers.
I transport appropriate donations when the project allows.
I look for responsible ways to return usable belongings to our Maui community.
And I keep the project moving through the laughter, reminiscing and sometimes the tears.
What I do not do is manage the ongoing sale or consignment of an entire household.
If a client wants to sell an item, I can take photos, measurements and provide the information or wording they need to list it themselves.
Managing the actual sale is different. That means researching prices, creating listings, answering messages, negotiating, scheduling pickups, dealing with no-shows and sometimes storing the item while waiting.
That can cost the client more than the item ever sells for.
There are practical details too. I provide tape and I bring reusable bins. If I am lucky, I can also find boxes, but that is not something I can guarantee. Fragile items may need wrapping, and my reusable bins have to come back with me, which means they must be emptied at each destination.
A household clear-out takes supplies, transportation, coordination, decisions and time.
That is what you are hiring A Honu Space to manage.
#ProfessionalOrganizer #EstateCleanout #Downsizing #MovePreparation #AHonuSpace

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Donation centers are not disposal centers.
An item can still be perfectly useful to YOU and not be appropriate for someone else.
Smoke odor matters.
Pet hair matters, especially for people with allergies.
Water damage, mildew, stickiness and contamination matter.
Opened personal-care and medical products may not be accepted, even when most of the package is still there.
And an item that has been sitting uncovered for years may need more than a quick wipe before another person can realistically use it.
I hear, “But couldn`t somebody use this?”
Maybe.
But then we have to find that somebody.
That search also takes time.
Part of a professional household clear-out is determining what can realistically be donated, what needs another solution and when it is time to let something go.
Not everything needs another owner. BUT WE TRY!

#FactualFriday #MauiOrganizer #ProfessionalOrganizing #Downsizing #AHonuSpace

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“If I’m giving everything away, why does it cost so much?”

Because donating a whole house is not one trip to one donation center.
A home may have clothing, furniture, linens, kitchenware, medical equipment, craft supplies, paperwork, electronics and years of miscellaneous belongings.
There is no single organization on Maui that takes everything.
One place may take furniture but not clothing. Another may accept certain medical equipment but not opened medical supplies. Some items may need a completely different destination.
Before anything leaves the house, I still have to sort it, determine where it can actually go, pack it, label it, load it, transport it and deal with everything nobody can use.
You are not paying me to give your things away. You are paying me to get an entire household from full to cleared.
That is professional organizing, downsizing and household clear-out work.

#MauiOrganizer #ProfessionalOrganizing #Downsizing #EstateCleanout #AHonuSpace

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