Getting Organized After Vision Loss

Hadley

Getting Organized After Vision Loss

Presented by Ricky Enger

Ricky Enger: If you spend more time looking for what you need than you actually do in getting things accomplished, organizing your space with a system that works well for you can be a huge help. In this episode, Hadley's Tiffany Mpofu and Lisa Salinger join us to share tips for organization with vision loss. I'm Ricky Enger, and this is Hadley Presents. Welcome to the show, Tiffany and Lisa.

Tiffany Mpofu: Thanks, Ricky. Thanks for having me.

Lisa Salinger: Yes, thank you so much. These are always great times to be able to share and learn.

Ricky Enger: I am delighted to have you both back. And it is that time where people start to think about New Year's resolutions and what kind of thing can I do more of this year or what can I do better with this year? Believe it or not, organization is actually on my resolutions list. I'm just one of those people that knows how much it's going to help me, and I know all of the reasons to do it, but somehow I still keep finding ways to be inefficient about things. So, for me, it's going to be about figuring out where things should be so I can just put my hand on something and keep moving on with my day instead of looking and where did I put it. Okay, I've just gone through five different places, and I still didn't find it. So that's me. Would you say Tiffany, are you a pretty organized person or are you a little chaotic or maybe a little of both?

Tiffany Mpofu: I would say a little of both. I try to be organized, but it's like when you have one of those days where you've just made it in, and so instead of putting the keys on the key hook, it kind of just goes someplace else. So now when you're ready to go, now you're searching around looking for keys and that that.

Ricky Enger: Very relatable. Lisa, what about you?

Lisa Salinger: I would say I'm pretty organized. I like knowing where things are and I feel better in myself when I can just put my hand on a thing. Now, that's not to say that I'm perfect. This weekend I lost something for almost a day, and I'm finding that the things that get me, like with the holidays coming, I have things moved to accommodate some decorations. I have a one-bedroom apartment, so there's only so much room. Gifts are starting to encroach on living spaces and things are in different spots, and so that's when I really kind of need to up my organization game. Not so much in the day to day, but when things change as they inevitably will.

Ricky Enger: So maybe you are a person who has always been organized, but if things are changing for you in terms of your vision, that organization may look a little different or maybe you have always been disorganized and you've kind of relied on, I don't know, the kindness of strangers or just kind of flying by the seat of your pants or glancing around the room to see where something is, and now you can't do that. What are some reasons that things might be a little more difficult if your vision has changed? I know again, for me, the one thing I think of is you can't really glance around the room anymore in the same way that you used to. So that might be a reason that you struggle. What are some other reasons?

Lisa Salinger: You can have things that look very different from each other, but if you're not relying on your sight anymore or you never have, the problem comes when they feel alike. I have heard of numerous people who brushed their teeth with both Bengay and Preparation H. Not something necessarily I would recommend, but that can happen. So, it's also about identifying and marking what you have. It kind of stinks, but it's just the way it is. Organization takes longer. If I buy canned goods and spices from the store, I can't just chuck 'em on a shelf. They've got to be labeled first, and it does take a little more time. And then I think I gripe. I think, oh, I hate that it takes that much time. And then I think to myself, okay, would you rather take a little time labeling, or would you rather take a little time rummaging around and fussing? And I'm like, no, I think labeling is actually better.

Tiffany Mpofu: I want to add that when you have control over your environment, it makes you feel that much more confident. For instance, my husband, instead of asking him all the time, where's this? Where's that? It feels great when I can just put my hands on something and it's right there. And also, being organized helps with being safe in your environment. So, using sharp knives, instead of putting them in the dishwater which can cause injury, put them at the back of the faucet until it's time for them to be cleaned and then put away. Or even items being in the walkway or a chair is pulled out or misplaced. So just being organized helps also to stay safe.

Ricky Enger: That's a really good point, and I want to go back to something you said Tiffany. When things are going really, really well, it's amazing. But if you live with someone, it can be difficult. You can be making your system of organization and then you have to have the talk with your family members to say, “Hey, if you move something from where I've put it, I'm not able to look over and see where you put it. It's essentially gone for me now.” So, any tips for having that conversation or is it really just about doing that, explaining why it's a big deal if people move stuff?

Tiffany Mpofu: Yeah, I think it's really about just having that conversation and even going through your method or system of how you've organized. Say for instance, certain things go in certain places. Maybe there are certain spices that are on the spice rack near the stove, or maybe there's a cupboard that is only for baking. Just having that conversation is really helpful. What's that saying?

Ricky Enger: Oh yeah, a place for everything.

Tiffany Mpofu: Yes, thank you. So yeah, it makes it easy to find. Also, when you're cooking or doing things in the kitchen, you're not searching all over or spending two hours finding something where it could have taken just two seconds or two minutes. So yeah, I'll say just having that conversation,

Lisa Salinger: The other thing I think is that if you're not organized, it's going to take a lot of time and I think it's easy to beat yourself up for the organization you lack, and I would say celebrate where you are. For example, my medicine cabinet is organized. I know what all my medicines are. And if you're looking for organization priorities like Tiffany was talking about the importance of organizing things so you can be safe. So, if you're looking for a starting place, start with safety, you're not going to go wrong with that.

Tiffany Mpofu: I'll also add to start small. Give yourself 15 minutes in the morning or sometime throughout the day and just start with organizing a drawer or a shelf. And like Lisa said, reward yourself after that. And then use lists, planners, or apps when it comes to documentation to organize. And most importantly, be kind to yourself. It's easy to get overwhelmed. So, if you're just starting out, start small or even if you're wanting to get back in the groove of things, still start small and have fun with it.

Lisa Salinger: And it could be that you might need a helper to get organized, so you may need to pay a reader or someone to help you. Maybe you have a family member who can work with you twice a week for 15 minutes. For example, I know myself and I am pretty organized, but when I come in the door and my hands are full, the idea of a key hook is almost amusing to me. Things are going to fly. I'm going to drop 'em. I'm going to go do what I need to do. And so having a designated kind of drop spot and you're like, “Okay, I dropped it here, so now I'm going to come back.” And those things I dropped, I just had them. I know what they are, I'm going to come back and I'm going to organize them. So, it doesn't always have to be instantaneous.

Maybe you come in and you don't have time to put anything away because the dog's got to go out. And the other thing is if you think you're going to forget where something is, you can say it out loud. For example, I put the box of arborio rice I need for Christmas dinner on the small cupboard, something like that. But saying it out loud, it sounds strange, but it helps cement in your mind where it is. It's like you're hearing it and you're placing it. So, you're kind of getting that input from two senses.

Tiffany Mpofu: Like Lisa was saying too, understanding your style. So even if that means coming in and dropping things down and then making that mental note that now I'm going to go and put the keys where they belong, or I'm going to put my wallet where it goes, just making mental notes of things and be consistent. When you have a routine, it becomes second nature. So, making those mental notes and setting a routine and being consistent can help and keep things in place.

Lisa Salinger: It's very easy to depend on your memory to think, I just got this new crockpot, and I'll remember how the buttons are laid out. Chances are pretty good that unless you're using that thing every day, you are not going to remember. I think we have so much to remember. I mean, all the appliances are smart now and they have multiple things and do things in multiple ways, and there's just a lot more to remember. I think it's not necessarily a good thing when we pressure ourselves to remember it. I have a file called layouts, and it's the layout of my TV remote and the remote for this, that and the other thing, and how my instant pod is laid out, all of that. So, I would say use those things and don't just rely on your memory because unfortunately, it's kind of the law that at the time when you need it most, it might fail you.

Tiffany Mpofu: Right, exactly. Even using tactile markers or stickers on the stove on some of those appliances as well can really be helpful, especially if you're cooking big meals and maybe you're rushing around and it's like, okay, what button do I press now for this to make it work? So yeah, having those markers on there could be helpful.

Ricky Enger: I'm glad you bring that up because I do think that's one thing people may get caught up in is, “Okay, I know I need to organize and this is going to be something that will really help me, but I don't even know how. When I think about organization, it feels complex, it feels overwhelming.” We've already named a couple of them, so having little bins or baskets to separate things in and knowing which things are yours. Even putting rubber bands on things. One has one rubber band, one has two, one has three, and you just happen to know what that system means to you. Tactile markings, that can be a good way to figure out what things are. You can do large print; you could do color coding if you have some color vision.

So, I think don't get caught up in having a system that is Martha Stewart worthy. It just needs to be a system that you understand. So now that we've talked a little bit about what is possible, why you want to organize, what it's really going to help with, maybe it would help to just go through a couple of rooms in the house and give some practical tips for things that you might do for that particular room to make things a little better. We've talked about the kitchen a little bit but maybe share a tip or two for getting things organized in the kitchen.

Lisa Salinger: So, I have a lot of kitchen gadgets, large and small, everything from electric to small things like spatulas and wooden spoons and potato mashers. And so, I have two containers. One is kind of a big metal bucket, and all my taller kind of utensils go in there. And then I have a smaller little caddy kind of thing that holds little utensils and things of that nature. And it just helps because you still have to sort through them, but if you can group them kind of by size, eventually you remember. Alright, the pizza cutter is in with the little things, and the bottle brush is in with the larger things.

Tiffany Mpofu: My setup is similar to Lisa's when it comes to utensils, but when it comes to mixing bowls and things like that, I have a specific cabinet for that. And then cookware, I have a cabinet for that. And then my smaller appliances, like my food processor and cheese shredder, I have a separate cabinet for those things as well as for glass baking dishes. I use a lot of different seasonings, and I have a spice rack with the more common ones that I use daily. And then in the cabinet above my spice rack, I do have ones that have salt. So, all of my spices that have salt are on one shelf and then my husband has his special seasonings that he likes to use. So those are way at the top and that works out because everything I organize is according to my height, I'm vertically challenged. I'm a little shorty, it's just easier to get to those things. But everything that I use is mostly on the lower shelves.

Ricky Enger: And then do you do a baking cabinet and a spices cabinet? I do that. I like to bake bread and other things. So, I might have pastry flour, bread flour, wheat flour and all purpose and all the bags feel the same, so I end up putting them in just different sized or shaped canisters. So that works. And then when it comes to the freezer, I have veggies on one side and meat on the other. And then below I'll have things divided too, but even then it's a little chaotic. So, I like to have things somewhat organized. And then because my style is to use technology, I'll pull out a tech tool if I'm not sure the corn and the peas may feel similar if I'm in a hurry. So, let's just pull out that tech tool and figure out the difference between those two frozen items. And I think you do that as well Tiffany, you get your magnifier out.

Tiffany Mpofu: I do, yep. My phone is almost tied to my hip, especially when reading those labels for the spices. But also, I'll use the SeeingAI app to read some of those as well, but mostly I am using my magnifier.

Ricky Enger: Makes sense. Okay, so next up is the closet. And some people will organize this by getting things that go with everything else, and that is certainly a system that works. If you want to get neutrals that pair with other neutrals and just not have to think about it, that's one way you can do it. One thing I do is I'll divide shirts, pants, skirts, and blazers. They all have a separate section of the closet, but I use a color identifier. Unfortunately, I can't find one for the phone that works well, but there is one called the Color Star, so that helps me. I'll organize from lightest to darkest, but even then that's not enough because sometimes you've got things that are patterned and so you want to know, I don't want to wear stripes with polka dots or whatever it is. And so I use a tag system with my phone to do this, so I'm able to describe the garment, then use the app to tap it against this little tag that you can attach to the hanger or you can sew inside the clothing and it will speak that description. That's kind of my techie way to do it. Another thing I've done is I use my Meta glasses sometimes and just hold up a shirt or a blazer or whatever and say, describe this and it does a pretty nice job. Are there some lower tech ways to do this?

Lisa Salinger: I don't know. I do kind of high tech too. I do find that sometimes the AI does a better job of describing colors and patterns than a color identifier on a phone.

Basically, I just put things by what the garment type is. So, shirts go in one place, pants in another dresses, et cetera. Some people like to fold their clothes. I fold almost nothing, like even nightgowns and stuff. I hang all of that because it's easier for me to get an idea of what it is and to access the tags which have the information I need. If you're looking for tags, you almost have to unfold everything. And I use those same tags that you do Ricky, but I also have some braille color tags that I pin into my clothes, and I use those as well.

Tiffany Mpofu: Cool. And for me, I'm a grouper. I group everything. I hang all my dresses and then my shirts are grouped together, sweaters, not necessarily colors, just mostly what the material is. When it comes to folding, I'll fold PJs and t-shirts, things like that. Maybe like my everyday type of wear, I'll fold those. This was a lesson that I learned some time ago. I was off to an event rushing out, and I have the same shoe but two different colors, one black and the other one is navy blue. So, I'm rushing around, I'm getting dressed, I just put my shoes on and I'm waiting on paratransit, and the driver knocks on the door. So, I'm ready to go and my husband's like, ah, you might want to check your shoes, one is blue and the other one is black. So, I told the driver, hold on for a minute, let me switch my shoes. So, from that point, what I've done is I've put a Velcro sticker on the inside of my shoe for my blue ones, and then my black ones don't have anything. So that is one of those things where it's hard for me to see between a navy blue, black and brown.

Ricky Enger: Just a couple more quick things that people do. You might have a different textured hanger for certain things or a different type of hanger. Maybe you've got wire hangers for some things and plastic hangers for another. And again, it's just what makes sense to you. So next up we have the bathroom and there are a couple of things that we can do here. There is the self-care kind of stuff with ointments or Neosporin and lotions, shampoos, conditioners, things like that. And then a lot of people have their meds in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom as well. So maybe just a couple of quick tips from each of you for keeping that stuff organized.

Tiffany Mpofu: Yeah, I'll say for the shampoo and conditioner, for me, I cut a notch in my shampoo on the lid, so I know the difference between the two. And then I do have a linen closet that I keep organized with over-the-counter type of medications and other products. I organize the shelves depending on what the products are.

Ricky Enger: I was so surprised the other day because I bought a new shampoo and conditioner and it had braille right on the bottle. So, if you happen to know braille, Redken is a good thing to check out. Before that, I would use the rubber band technique or the rough up one of the lids technique where you can kind of feel that the top of that feels rough, that's the shampoo. Or one rubber band for shampoo and two for conditioners, that's a way that I approach that. I know a lot of people are feeling like I don't want to learn braille, that feels like a lot. But if you know just enough to read one or two letters, that can really help, especially with those over-the-counter meds. You've got just a letter or two to distinguish between these bottles. Now when it comes to prescription stuff, there are talking prescription labels. A lot of places do this, so if you're wondering if your pharmacy does this, give us a call. But CVS certainly does. And then for smaller pharmacies that might not already do this, there is a service that will work with your pharmacy to get those talking labels that you can either use with a standalone reader that's really easy to use or you can use it with an app. So that might be helpful too.

Lisa Salinger: Bathrooms, I think, are actually easy-ish to organize because generally it's a small space with a lot of built-in storage. If you're lucky, you have a cupboard under your sink, and I use that to store extras as well as bathroom cleaning supplies. And so, I have all my prescription meds in basically a basket, looks like a little milk crate on a shelf. But then in the closet where the sheets and towels are, I have a little room on the shelves. So, on one shelf I have things like ointments and burn cream and things like that, Band-aids. On another shelf, I have things like lotion and powder, and then over the counter medicines I put in a drawer of my nightstand in the bedroom. And these are kind of not the things you might need once in a while, like cold medicine. These are things like, I don't know, Tylenol, Benadryl, anything like that that I might need. I don't know, more than once a month they go there.

And so even if you're organizing things kind by type, I mentioned that just to say that they don't always all have to go in the same place. So just because you have medicines, you could have prescription medicines here, you could have over the counters that you use all the time here. And you could have things that you only need occasionally in another place if you have medicines for a pet, a spouse, or a child. They also can go in a different place. And sometimes location can be a really good way of organizing. So, you might say, okay, I have three bottles that look like this, but only one of them is a medicine I take every day. So, when I find that bottle in my milk crate, I know, okay, that's my medicine that I take every day.

Ricky Enger: I think you really hit on something. It's about putting it somewhere that is actually intuitive to you because if you're relying on your memory or if you've made the system that sort of makes sense on paper but doesn't, when you're just going through your daily life, then it's not going to work so well. But if it makes sense and you would expect to find it in a particular place, then maybe that can kind of help. Maybe you're looking for a place for something in particular and you're not sure, but if you think about where am I going to use it, that might actually help you find its home, so to speak. So, one last thing I want to chat about is important papers and documents and such. And this is no fun for anyone, and it's way less fun if suddenly glancing down at it and figuring out the print on it is nowhere near as easy as it used to be.

And so, are there ways that both of you keep these things organized? For me, it's about having different folders as well as a location for specific things. So, I know that all my warranty manuals go in this folder, and I don't need it often. So, it's kind of an out of the way place. Whereas things like birth certificates and that kind of thing, that's somewhere where I immediately know where to go to get it and I know what it feels like and I can get to it quickly. What about all of you?

Tiffany Mpofu: Yeah, it's good to have a filing system. For myself, I use a color-coding system, using different color folders and also creating large print labels. Sometimes I'll use sticky notes and put them on the flap of it and then of course write on it what it is and then stick it on there. Or sometimes those little things can fall off easily. So, I'll also use index cards, write in large print and tape it on the face of the folder. So that's one way that I organize. And another way is using a digital system as well, creating different folders and naming those folders and just keeping that all organized on the computer or even using the note taking app as well.

Lisa Salinger: Yeah, I do that with documents whenever I can, receipts or anything like that. I can get them in my email or on the computer, even if the document is in an inaccessible PDF, I can still rename it 2024 tax documents or whatever. I have a file cabinet with folders with braille labels on them, and it's not as neat as I would like. For example, I have a manuals folder, and I have a bunch of manuals in there. And so, if there's a problem with a particular item, I could at least get out my manuals folder and look through it either with an app on my phone or with Aira or with a sighted reader and find what I needed. But even then, so often now manuals are online. I do keep some manuals in Ziploc bags, and I label those Ziploc bags, I don't know, exercise machine manual because if that exercise machine came with tools and so they go in the bag with the manual. That is a case where I label manuals separately.

Ricky Enger: So, I think all of this goes to show that there really is no right way to do it. And there are things that you may be incredibly organized about and then things that you are organized enough. As Lisa was mentioning, once you get to that folder of manuals or whatever it is, then you can find the thing that you need as long as you're kind of generally in the right place. I hope that as you're all listening to this, you feel a little more encouraged to say, I can do this in a way that makes sense for me. It is going to be a work in progress. That's what I would say. But it's well worth doing it, and I think you'll learn as you go along what things are going to work well for you and what things you try and say, nope, this organization system was a bust. It did not work. Back to the drawing board. Anything from either of you that you want to say to people as we kind of wrap up? Just anything encouraging taking that step to getting organized.

Tiffany Mpofu: You know, if you're looking for ideas, maybe you're stuck. No worries, call Hadley and we could brainstorm with you. We can talk through it together.

Lisa Salinger: And it kind of dovetails with organization. Hadley's labeling workshops would also probably be very helpful in this venture. We have ones on labels you touch and audio labels and large print labels. So, there is indeed something for everyone.

Ricky Enger: Absolutely. Yes. Well, thank you both so much for dropping by sharing your organization tips, and we'll have links to those workshops and tips in the show notes. And as Tiffany said, give us a call and talk things through when you're struggling to figure it out. We're so happy to help. Thanks so much for joining us, and I hope your new year is off to an excellent start. Got something to say. Share your thoughts about this episode of Hadley Presents or make suggestions for future episodes. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at [email protected]. That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T at HadleyHelps.org or leave us a message at 847-784-2870. Thanks for listening.