10 Tips to Ease Mom & Dad's Moving Transition

Oh, my goodness!  We’ve got to move Mom. Where do we start?  What can we do and who can help us?

1.  Seek the advice of a Placement Agency.  Their services are free to families as they receive a referral fee from the senior community YOU choose.  Don’t think you can do this yourself. It can be an expensive mistake.  Not all senior communities are alike. It’s not easy to realize what they ARE on a short visit. Some are more social and active than others. Some have a larger population of memory/dementia residents than others.  You only want to move once.

2. Get your senior out of their home and into their new community before you try to sort through a lifetime of possessions.  Otherwise, it may take too long and be too late. 

3. Know what a senior apartment looks like.
In most cases, senior apartments have a kitchen, a living room, a spacious bathroom that can accommodate a wheelchair and a 10 x 12 bedroom. Total sq feet is around 700 sq ft. That sounds small, but remember your senior will be busy outside of their apartments with lots of activities, and will be eating all three meals in the common dining room with other residents. The kitchen will probably contain a refrigerator, sink, a microwave oven but no cooktop.  There will be space for dishes and a few pots and pans There will be a small pantry too, possibly a dishwasher. In many or most cases, the senior will never want to use any of these things anyway.

4. Don’t take too much stuff. Here’s a list for a typical 1 bedroom senior apartment:

• Kitchen:  A small table no larger than 36" diameter, 2 kitchen chairs. 4 place settings of dishes and cutlery, A few cooking pots/containers, waste basket, small appliances, microwave if not provided
• Living Room:  1 six foot sofa plus 1 chair or 1 loveseat and 2 chairs. TV, credenza , video equipment, Telephone, bookcase or curio cabinet for photos and keepsakes. Coffee tables are a tripping hazard.
• Bedroom:  I Full or Q Bed 2 nightstands, 1 telephone TV, video equipment as needed 2 lamps, 1 dresser and mirror or 1 chest of drawers. 1 chair Bedspread, pillows, 2 sets of sheets.
• Bathroom: Laundry basket waste basket 4 sets of towels ,grab handles in Tub/shower. Your Physical Therapist might suggest additional safety features.
• Closets: Make sure that the bedroom closet has double hang rods. Seniors usually wear separates.  If you can afford it, install a small set of pull out wire drawers for shoes. Elfa Closet and Rubber Maid have designs that are perfect for this need.

5. Bring Accessories:
Don't believe your senior when they say they "don't care" and they “don't want anything”. They do care, they just won't admit it to you. They always tell me later that they are sorry they pretended they didn't care. They were trying not to be too much trouble or were just being cantankerous at the time.

6. Less is More. Too many pieces of furniture creates a warehouse effect and can be hazardous and stifling in a small space. You can't fit 2,000 sq ft of stuff into a 700sq ft space no matter what you do. Less is more.

7. Photos Count!  Family photos are a status symbol in senior communities as well as being important to your loved one. Make sure family photos are proudly displayed on the wall. They are proud of you and want to see your photos and show you off to their new friends. 

8. Make it feel like their old home. Try to re create their living room and bedroom accessories placement as closely as possible to their previous home. Senior Communities will provide window blinds on the windows. Warm up the windows with store bought valances.

9. Don't forget the Patio/Deck.  Provide a couple of small outdoor chairs and a small table if your senior’s apartment has a patio or deck.

10. Stop feeling guilty!  Your beloved senior will feel at home because they are surrounded by familiar things and treasured photos.  Helping them transition in this way will enable them to move happily forward on their very first day in their new home. 

11. Bonus Tip:  If this is too much for you, seek the help of a professional Senior Move Manager through the National Association of Move Managers, www.nasmm.org .  There are loving and compassionate SMMs throughout the US and Canada who can help you.