Working with Professionals
Services
Working with Professionals
I work alongside professionals supporting older people and their families through later-life home decisions.
Many families reach a point where the practical and emotional complexity of a home begins to affect safety, wellbeing or future planning. At that stage, they often benefit from calm, structured guidance to help them move forward.
My role is to support clients and families though the practical and emotional aspects of preparing a home for the future - whether than means downsizing, organising the house they already live in, or preparing for a move to suitable accommodation.
I often work alongside:
Solicitors
Financial advisors
Care providers
GP's
Estate agents
Retirement housing providers
Healthcare professionals
The aim is always the same; helping clients move forward safely and at a manageable pace.
Referrals are often helpful when:
An older client is struggling to manage their home.
A family is becoming concerned about safety and wellbeing.
A property move is becoming overwhleming
A move to a retirement home or care home is being considered.
A home needs preparing for sale.
Belongings accumulated over many years are becoming difficult to manage
Families are struggling to make decisions about the future
Family live too far away or have their own busy lives to provide practical support
Many families recognise that something needs to change, but feel unsure how to begin. Structured independent support can often make the situation feel far more manageable.
How the process works
All work begins with a two-hour in-home consultation (£150) with the client.
During the visit we will:
Talk through your current situation and concerns
Assess the home and practical challenges involved
Identify priorities, risks and practical considerations
Discuss possible options for the future
Following the consultation the client receives a clear written plan outlining realistic next steps and a sensible order to tackle things.
My background in occupational therapy means I look at both the practical and human aspects of a home, not just the belongings within it.
Some families take the plan and carry out the work themselves.
Others prefer ongoing support sharing the work between us or asking me to take responsibility for guiding the process.
Professional Background
Jennie Saunders has more than 20 years’ experience supporting older people and their families through later-life housing decisions.
She originally trained and worked as an occupational therapist in London before working in several London hospitals on care of the elderly wards, assessing patients’ homes and helping families put the right support, adaptations and practical arrangements in place so people could live safely and independently.
She then spent a further five years working for Southwark Social Services, where the majority of her caseload involved older adults and people with physical disabilities. Her role focused on helping people remain safely in their homes through practical support, home adaptations and coordinated care planning.
Over the following twelve years she continued supporting older people in their own homes. During this time she worked closely with individuals and families navigating the practical and emotional complexity of decisions about the home, particularly when the home was no longer meeting their needs, when adaptations were needed to help someone continue living safely there, when downsizing was being considered, or when a move to more suitable accommodation or care was approaching.
She frequently supported families through the practical and emotional work involved in these transitions, helping people adapt their homes where possible, or prepare for and move into homes that better suited their changing circumstances.
The Dedicated Downsizer developed from that experience, providing structured, independent support to help families manage the practical and emotional aspects of later-life housing decisions.
Her role is not to replace professional advice, but to support clients and families with the practical and emotional work that often sits alongside legal, financial and care planning decisions.
Professionals often involve Jennie when a client’s housing situation is beginning to complicate legal, financial or care planning decisions, or when families need practical support to move forward.
Professional Background
Jennie Saunders has more than 20 years’ experience supporting older people and their families through later-life housing decisions.
She originally trained and worked as an occupational therapist in London before working in several London hospitals on care of the elderly wards, assessing patients’ homes and helping families put the right support, adaptations and practical arrangements in place so people could live safely and independently.
She then spent a further five years working for Southwark Social Services, where the majority of her caseload involved older adults and people with physical disabilities. Her role focused on helping people remain safely in their homes through practical support, home adaptations and coordinated care planning.
Over the following twelve years she continued supporting older people in their own homes. During this time she worked closely with individuals and families navigating the practical and emotional complexity of decisions about the home, particularly when the home was no longer meeting their needs, when adaptations were needed to help someone continue living safely there, when downsizing was being considered, or when a move to more suitable accommodation or care was approaching.
She frequently supported families through the practical and emotional work involved in these transitions, helping people adapt their homes where possible, or prepare for and move into homes that better suited their changing circumstances.
The Dedicated Downsizer developed from that experience, providing structured, independent support to help families manage the practical and emotional aspects of later-life housing decisions.
Her role is not to replace professional advice, but to support clients and families with the practical and emotional work that often sits alongside legal, financial and care planning decisions.
Professionals often involve Jennie when a client’s housing situation is beginning to complicate legal, financial or care planning decisions, or when families need practical support to move forward.
Safeguarding and Professional Boundaries
The Dedicated Downsizer is a non-medical, non-clinical service. I do not provide personal care or regulated care services. Safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection are integral to how I work. A safeguarding policy and privacy documentation are available for clients and referrers. Liaison with professionals and family members takes place only with the client's consent, unless safeguarding concerns require otherwise.
Communication with Referrers
With the client's permission, I am happy to keep referring professionals informed of progress where appropriate. The aim is to ensure that everyone involved understands the practical steps being taken and the the clients continues to feel supported.
Referring a Client
If you would like to discuss a potential client. or understand more about how i work, please feel free to get in touch. I am always happy to have an informal conversation about whether support might be helpful in a particular situation.
“We didn’t just downsize, we found peace of mind.”
Retired couple moving to a smaller home
“Jennifer’s calm, organized approach made all the difference. She took the time to understand what mattered most to us, not just what to take or leave behind, but how we wanted our new home to feel. It wasn’t just about moving things; it was about moving forward. I can’t thank her enough for that.”
Connect with me
We’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re ready to start downsizing or
just exploring your options, let’s connect.
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