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You probably have mixed feelings about moving mom/dad into assisted living. While you know they will be happier, safer and less lonely, it is also difficult to accept that this once vital person, brimming with energy and verve, now seems to need help. You probably feel fiercely protective about them right now, much as they did about you in the past. You want to make that transition as smooth and painless as possible. You want to know what to do and what not to do to optimize not only the move but also the future wellbeing of your loved one in their new assisted living home. Maybe you should hire a senior move manager? Maybe there is something else you can do to reduce the stress of moving and to ease the whole transition to assisted living?

Prepare mentally and emotionally for moving to assisted living.

Firstly, get them mentally used to the fact that downsizing is a necessity. Remember, many aspects of daily life will be taken care of in assisted living, and fewer belongings need to be shifted to the new home. Not only that, there will be space constraints in the new home. So, think carefully about what to take along and what to leave behind. Create a list of treasured items that you feel you or your loved one would enjoy having around in the new home.

Secondly, make sure there is no communication gap between you and the management staff at the home. Ask for their rules and guidelines about items that seniors are required to bring with them, and things that will be provided for residents. It may also be a good idea to make a few personal visits before moving. Take the time to speak to the residents there about their experiences and recommendations.

Thirdly, prepare emotionally for the move. Discuss this as a family. If you’re a senior making the move, articulate any concerns you may have. If you’re someone whose loved one – a parent, grandparent, aunt – is going to be making the transition, address the concerns and anxieties they may have.

Rather than treating this decision as a last resort, acknowledge the fact that this is the best decision for all concerned – resolve apprehensions or misguided feelings of guilt. Talk about the many ways in which assisted living can be safer and more secure for older people and how the presence of other seniors can be enjoyable while alleviating loneliness. Talking things through will help reassure everyone around. It may also throw up other unanswered questions, which can be cleared with the home owners /management before the actual move.

Consider senior moving services.

There is a lot that goes into making the move to assisted living: knowing about the most useful things to pack and take along, utilities to suspend, things to move to storage, medical details to sort out, the actual packing and moving, financial details to sort out and a lot else besides. There may be aspects you may miss out on or there may be tedious details and complex procedures involved. For this, a regular mover and packer service may not suffice. It isn’t just the cartons and the bubble wrap; here insight, experience and empathy also count for a lot. We’re talking about a loved one who may well have mixed feelings about leaving a beloved home, familiar surroundings, comforting objects and a friendly neighborhood. 

Hence, calling in experts who will handle all of this and offer valuable advice could make a lot of sense. There are senior moving managers or agencies that can provide valuable services and ease the path, so to speak. These services often have people with backgrounds in nursing, psychology, social work, IT, project management and so on. So, hiring senior moving managers could give you access to a diverse skill set.

They could help explain what things one would have to part with and why – helping seniors downsize with dignity, so to speak. Their insight and experience could also provide creative solutions for seemingly intractable problems. They help anticipate and prevent potential hiccups. Move managers will take care of the nitty gritty, the physical and practical aspects of moving so that the family can focus on the emotional aspects of their loved one’s relocation.

Because of their experience dealing with senior moving, these managers are more clued in to the anxieties that seniors typically feel at this time. They can help prepare seniors for the move in a sensitive and empathetic manner by offering inputs and information about what to expect. Having a move manager in the picture can also help deescalate family tensions and help family members make joint decisions on important matters. Practical tips and advice from someone who knows can help along the process of decision making and conflict resolution.

Senior relocation experts could, for instance, suggest a storage facility in Orange County as a stopgap solution for the belongings of the loved one moving to assisted living. They could suggest workable solutions for managing medical requirements or finances. They could suggest charities for making donations, ways to get good deals on memorabilia, suggest tax deductions, offer solutions for real estate sales and so on.

Move managers can also help save money and time – especially if the move is a distant one, such as from one to another state. Consider the fact that some laws and regulations could differ from state to state. With the countless details to keep in mind and loose ends to tie up, it can be a godsend to have professionals on hand to take care of the situation.

You can call us to get the answers to any questions you may have, which may help you decide whether or not you even need to hire a senior move manager. Arm yourself with all the information so that you can really ease the transition not only for mom/dad but for you, the family and everyone else involved.