Introducing Chris Hoganson…
Living Spaces’ Senior Move Manager
It takes a special person to manage the task of downsizing. Chris Hoganson is that person. She is patient and understands the dynamics of fitting a once-full home into a smaller space.
“That doesn’t mean that every possession gets to come along,” she said.
Chris has mastered the delicate balance of helping people understand what their new lifestyle will require and what they can do without. “People in this situation are vulnerable and they trust you. There is an ethical responsibility to do the right thing,” she added.
Living Spaces caters to those aging in place or moving to a smaller space
While Living Spaces strives to serve the baby boomer generation aging in place or moving to assisted living, we welcome Chris’s special expertise in decluttering and downsizing. As certified stagers and designers, we often meet families and even new mothers who need help organizing.
Chris hasn’t always been an organizer. She trained and worked in Special Education in Washington before moving to Louisville. Her ability to work with families in a difficult situation makes her perfect for this job. Looking for a way to use her innate gifts, she teamed up with a local organizer and started helping people get in front of their clutter.
When a family member becomes sick everyone is focused on them
Chris discovered the niche of Senior Move Management while working with individuals in Memory Care and Assisted Living. “When a family member becomes sick everyone is focused on them. There is this sudden shock… that a lifestyle change is coming,” she said.
“When someone has to move because of health issues, it’s best to help them make choices while they still have control over their memory,” she said. After years of accumulating stuff, it’s so helpful to have someone identify what’s valuable, what they need and don’t need to take with them. “For example, if someone is going into an apartment with a small kitchen and microwave, they won’t need to take every serving dish, pots, and pans,” she added.
It’s a long process
Most recently she’s been working with a client who is preparing to go into assisted living and wants to review every piece of paper she owns. “Together we rate her success by how many pounds of paper we recycle,” said Chris. They did that every week for a year to prepare for the downsize.
Chris is the President of Staging Experts of Louisville. In addition to senior move management, she is also an organizer and stager. She lives with her husband who is a senior health care administrator. For nearly 40 years, she has enjoyed all the residents that have crossed her path.
