|
How to Cope Successfully
During a Senior Move
|
|
Leaving your old home and moving to a new one is stressful under the
best conditions, but for seniors moving can be especially difficult.
Senior moves are often the result of a significant life change. It may
be a health issue, financial circumstances, or loss of a spouse that
causes you to have to downsize. Actually, the term
“rightsizing” has now replaced “downsizing.” That alone gives
a new and more positive look at this next stage in life.
Even if the move is completely by choice, a move means change. This is
a big change, from somewhere that has been home and provided comfort;
often it’s where you raised your family and created a community for
yourself. This transition can be easier with some preplanning and
organizing that your interests and goals for your future residence
in the forefront – and help you gain control of the
situation. Whether on your own or with assistance, organizing
your belongings is a lot of work, but it will also benefit you in the
long run. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends.
Experts in organizing say that going through your possessions and
sorting them into piles of “keep,” “give away,” and “sell” is a great
head start on a move. There is no reason to pay the movers to
move things you are going to get rid of anyway. This money saving tip
also lets you see keepsakes you haven’t had the opportunity to pull out
in a while and experience feelings of accomplishment and fond memories.
|
10 Tips to
Help Seniors Move
Sources: Nan
Hayes, Industry Expert, www.moveseniors.com and Tracy
Smith, Relocation
Specialist, Moving Companies.us
If you help your parents or another senior pack and move, always
remember these tips:
1.
Plan ahead. Seniors need time to get used to the change.
Give time
to adjust to the idea of moving. Don't try to push or move them too
fast, as this could end up putting more stress on everyone involved.
2.
Take pictures. It is likely that the senior that you are
helping
move has been in their home or dwelling for a long time. There are lots
of memories locked in the walls that they are leaving. To help them
remember, and feel better about leaving the home, take pictures that
they can keep forever.
3.
Plan a layout for the new residence. Most seniors do not
like
change, and it might be difficult for them to come to terms with a
whole new layout of their home. To help ease this stress, obtain a map
or layout of their new home and allow them to plan out where everything
is going to be placed.
4.
Hire movers. Getting the right help is important when
your parents
or other senior who is close to you is moving. Chances are there are
more things to move and take care of than you might realize, and having
the help of professional moving companies can really be a lifesaver.
Senior moving specialists are available to help with all aspects of a
move.
5.
Give them tasks. It’s vital that you get the senior
involved with
the move as much as they are able to be. If you can, take them to the
new home and allow them to get acquainted with the area where they are
going to be living.
6.
Where to start. It is best to find a room or area that is
not
something with great sentimental value. Bathrooms are great areas to
start, and they can generally be packed and ready for the move within a
couple of hours.
7.
Give them space. It is important that you give a senior
some space
and time when they move. You want them to be stress free, and if they
find pictures or other items that evoke emotions, then you should allow
them the time that they need to deal with these items. Be sure to
listen to their stories, as they might have some insight that you will
not find anywhere else.
8.
Pack a box the night before. In a special box, pack the
items that
the senior will be in continuous need of during the move so they are
easy to find. This includes medications, toiletries, medical devices,
etc.
9.
Get a good night’s sleep. The senior really needs to get a
good
night’s sleep before moving the next day. If well rested, the senior is
better able to deal with the emotions of the move.
10.
Eat, hydrate, and medicate. On moving day, don’t let the
senior
forget to eat, drink water, and stay on schedule with their
medications.
|
Keep – The “keep”
pile can be sorted further into “new place” or
“storage.” With your new place in mind, sort through your items and
envision how they would fit in your new residence. What items do you
want around you that will make you feel at home? The rest can be
organized and stored yet easily located in the future.
Give
away – The “give away” pile can be divided into a couple
of piles
as well, “for family” or “charity.” You’d be surprised at what family
members would be interested in taking. They too have fond memories of
your home and would give new life to your pre-loved items in their own
homes. Charities are always grateful to receive household items as
well, plus they are a write-off on your taxes.
Sell
– Here your options are having a garage sale or using Internet
sites like eBay and Craigslist. Be realistic about pricing the items.
You can do some research online ahead of time to find out what similar
items are selling for. Price them to sell – the goal is to get rid of
them and have cash in hand at the same time.
Sorting can be a huge job and can be accomplished all in one weekend or
over a period of time. Just keep at it and you’ll feel better once it
is complete.
There is more to a successful move than just effectively organizing and
purging your belongings. There are many factors to consider for it to
go smoothly. This list of questions, developed by the editors
of the state of California’s ‘’Aging and Long Term Care” web page,
helps you cope with the emotional demands of moving and think ahead for
ultimate preparedness for yourself or a senior loved one.
Checklist for the Best Planned
Move
- Is there a specific timeframe
for moving?
- If so, are there other
resources you need to enlist for help in meeting your goal?
- Which personal items or
furniture will help to create the mood you want in your new home?
- Who will help you evaluate
which of your possessions will best fit in your new home?
- Is there a room design or
configuration you need in the bedroom or living room to feel centered
and comfortable in the new home?
- Do you have memorabilia and
religious or spiritual possessions that will help you maintain your
identity in the new community?
- Who will accompany you on
your moving date? And who will visit daily for the first week, or even
the first month?
- Is there a specific ceremony,
ritual, or blessing that you would like for your new home before you
move in?
- Would
you like to send personal moving notices to let friends and distant
family know about your new home? How do you plan to notify people about
your upcoming move and send invitations to visit?
- Will you keep
your current medical practitioners or find new ones in the community?
How will your medical records be transferred and maintained?
- If you choose to keep the
doctors and dentists you have, how will you get to their offices?
- How will you visit friends
and family who don’t live nearby?
- If
you have a disability that is visible to others, what are your feelings
about this? What do you need to feel strong and sociable? Does it help
to know that you are not the only person who is experiencing this?
Remember to consider the feelings of your caregivers.
- What
activities can you continue to enjoy after moving to your new home?
Include exercise and hobbies when you make your list. Also identify the
activities you may not be able to perform anymore, and find new ones to
enjoy.
- After moving, how will you
meet people in your new community? If you have caregiver, can he or she
help you meet new people?
Source:
Bradley Morgan and Stephan Marais, editors of the Aging & Long
Term
Care web pages for the state of California. coach@walksbesidecoaching.com.
It’s never too soon to begin
going through possessions and help senior loved ones organize their
homes. This can happen at any time. If the family and senior can get
together on weekends or over the holidays and approach the
occasion as an opportunity to bring family closer over good memories,
often the stresses are reduced and the process is simplified at the
time the move becomes a reality.
So who will move your remaining
stuff? Lucky you if you have enough
family and friends to help you on moving day. Often the need for a
moving company exists, especially for the larger items. Relatively new
in the moving company circles are the moving companies that cater
especially to the emotional and physical needs of seniors and their
families during the moving process. These movers have titles such as,
Senior Move Manager, Senior Move Specialist, and Senior Move
Coordinator.
Senior movers typically have special training
in helping seniors move and provide a range of services including,
developing an overall move or "age in place" plan; organizing, sorting,
and hauling away unwanted items; arranging for the selling of items;
packing and unpacking; and cleaning the new residence and the old one.
They often know the area and can be a good adviser for seniors and
their families in finding local community resources.
There
is more of a need now, even compared to 20 years ago, for this type of
special senior moving assistance because of the rapid growth of the
over-65 population. Many have children who have moved out of state and
cannot help or are also now aging adults with physical limitations of
their own.
Locating the right moving company begins
with questions. The moving company that you hire to move yourself or a
senior loved one should be aware of the sensitive nature of the move.
Moving is tough for seniors emotionally. Your questions should be
geared toward finding a company who will take that into consideration.
- What are your professional
credentials?
- Are you fully insured for
liability and workers' compensation?
- How do you charge? Get an
estimate in writing.
- Will you provide a written
contract?
- Can you provide references?
- Do you provide senior move
management services?
- How do you approach a senior
move?
- Will
the company provide photo inventorying, downsizing recommendations for
keeping or discarding items, packing, unpacking, and resettling in a
new residence?
Depression and anxiety are
common when going
through a life-changing move. While families can offer help and
comfort, sometimes it takes the expertise of a third party to keep the
process moving forward and keep the emotion separate from the task.
Moving
day is made easier with the help of family, friends, and professionals
who can all support a senior through the tough emotional and physical
demands of a move. With preplanning and good execution, a
senior’s move and transition to a new place can go smoothly. The senior
is then positioned to thrive in their new residence with the
comfort of appropriate and meaningful possessions and with the peace of
mind that the items they gave away or sold have found new owners who
will appreciate them.
Consumer resources for locating senior moving companies and learning
more about how to make a senior move successful are:
National Association of Senior Move Mangers
www.nasmm.org
Move Seniors
www.moveseniors.com
|
