Regardless of where your elderly loved one is going, the process of moving isn’t easy. In most cases, it involves a parent that needs to transition from one space to another, and it is their child or children that are tasked with helping it to go well. Doing so involves a lot of work, with respect to finances, logistics and more.
What do you need to know about this process? The following tips will help you experience success.
- Talk It Over
Seniors often have difficulty leaving their home, particularly if it is one they have been in for a long time. It is natural to have feelings of sadness and regret. It is not easy for a child to talk to their parent about the moving process, but allow them time to think through what you are saying. Discuss why it is important to move and where they will be relocating to. Elderly individuals often feel like they have no control over the process, which is very hard for them, so make sure you allow them to have choice whenever possible and throughout the entire process. The best thing to do is Google, “
senior center near me” and then visit a number of them.
- Plan Well
Even before you begin packing up items, it is important to know what you are dealing with. How big is the new living space? How many rooms does it have? What items will you keep and what items will need to go? You can even draw up a visual to help you and your loved one figure out what needs to be done.
- Get Help
The
moving process is arduous. Do not be afraid to reach out to family to see if they can assist you. Everyone can lend a hand, no matter how old or how young they are. An added bonus is that your elderly parent will be surrounded by people that love them. That should make the moving process much easier on them.
- Be Organized
It is almost a certainty that you will have to
get rid of some items as you prepare to move your loved one. Take everyone that is helping you and go through the house step by step. Figure out which items are going with your loved one, which items are being given to others, which items are going to be donated and which items are going to be sold. Give some thought to this process. Remember that many of these possessions have sentimental value to your parents; allow them to talk about each item and allow them to grieve the loss of the item if they need to. These things represent memories to your loved one. You may even find that you have some emotion attached to them as well.
- Fix It
Once you get everything packed up, there is still more to do. It doesn’t even matter what is going to happen to the house; in almost all situations, the house has to be cleaned well and any necessary repairs must be completed. It is a good idea to get everything done at one time rather than completing the repairs slowly.
- Get Ready To Move
There are a few things you can do to help your elderly parent transition into their new living space. While it costs a lot of money, hiring a full service mover takes most of the stress off of you. They will put all the boxes and furniture into their truck, take it where it needs to go, and sit everything in the right areas. However, be aware that it may cost several thousand dollars to hire movers.
Self service movers are less expensive. You are responsible for putting everything on the moving truck, but the mover takes it where it needs to go. Of course, you can also rent your own truck or vehicle and take care of everything on your own. It is still expensive to do this, however, although you will save some money.
Of course, the transportation of your loved one still has not been touched on. Many seniors have difficulty leaving home for extended periods of time. So, how then will you get them to their destination? It may be worth it to pay for the cost of airfare for them. If they aren’t in the best health, do your research on how to keep them safe and happy while traveling. This is the final step in a long journey but is one that should be taken seriously!
