Tackling A Senior’s Move: How Families Can Help Their Loved One Through The Process
Tackling A Senior’s Move:
How Families Can Help Their Loved One Through The Process
Moving to a new home is a challenging experience for most
families, but when the move involves a senior family member, the process can be
especially difficult. Things can get emotional as difficult decisions need to
be made, but some advance planning can make a big difference in how smoothly
everything goes.
Plan ahead and break the process up into small chunks
Perhaps the key tip that experts will recommend when it
comes to helping a senior move is to create a plan ahead of time. Start
planning as far ahead of the needed moving date as possible, and the Senior
List recommends starting a “to do” list detailing the action items involved in making the move
happen.
Oftentimes when a senior decides to move into a new home,
some significant downsizing needs to happen. It can be overwhelming to seniors
to get through everything and part ways with things that may have sentimental
value but that cannot be accommodated in their new home. Family members can
help by being sensitive in working with a senior through this experience and
break the process down into small tasks.
Help your senior prioritize what to keep and plan for the
new home's space
Not many seniors can keep everything when they move into a
new place, so prioritizing what to keep is a necessary step. Family members may
need to get a bit creative in helping their senior keep items that are
meaningful to them while still accounting for potential space issues in the new
home. For example, treasured clothing items from a departed spouse or grown
children can be made into a quilt, or Cape Cod notes that special items can be passed on to other family members who
recognize their sentimental value.
The Caregiver site suggests creating a template of your senior's future
home so that precise planning can be done ahead of time to determine what
belongings will fit into the new space. This can be especially beneficial if
your loved one is moving into a smaller apartment or an assisted living
facility where space is fairly limited. Measuring and strategizing before the
move will pay off significantly once it is time to get everything arranged at
the new place.
In addition, it can be helpful to think ahead about which
items will be high priority in terms of unpacking. The moving process can be
emotional and taxing for older adults, and ensuring that a handful of comfort
items are put into place at the new home right away can ease the transition.
You will also want to consider which items need to be handled separately, like
medical equipment, important papers, and particularly sentimental items.
Consider hiring help to manage the move
Families may want to handle the process of moving their
senior to a new home on their own, but many find it quite useful to hire
additional help. This may include sorting through belongings, getting things
properly donated, arranging utility changes, and helping older adults with the
emotions that come with sorting through their belongings and facing their move.
Hiring a moving company can be well worth the
investment. Talk with movers as early as possible and organize your loved one's
belongings as you pack them so that everything is secure and easy to unpack in
the new home.
Whenever possible, allow plenty of time to make a transition
like this and give your senior family member as much power and control as
possible. Whether the move is one your loved one wants to do or simply needs to
do, implementing a few simple strategies early on can make a big difference in
ensuring that the transition into a new home goes smoothly.
[Image via Pixabay]
About the author: The above Real Estate was provided by Rob Alley, a leader in his field. Rob can be reached via email at roballeyrealtor@gmail.com or by phone at 434-964-8369. Rob has helped people move in and out of many Central Virginia towns for the last 8+ Years. Thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise! I service the following towns in Central VA: Charlottesville, Keswick, Scottsville, Ruckersville, Stanardsville, Crozet, Ivy, Greewnwood, Albemarle, Louisa, Orange, Nelson, Fluvanna, Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Lynchburg, Waynesboro, Fisherville and Augusta
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