Moving is stressful at any age. For seniors, moving often entails downsizing and sorting through decades of cherished keepsakes. Whether you’re preparing to move into a smaller house or retirement community yourself, or you’re helping someone you love, the process requires careful planning, patience and emotional support.
Make moving for seniors easier and as stress-free as possible by starting early, purposefully decluttering and following our helpful moving checklist.
4 Tips for Seniors Moving to a Retirement Community or Downsizing
Moving to a smaller home or a senior living community can stir up competing emotions. It’s an exciting opportunity to join an engaging community and simplify your life, but it also means leaving a place you know and love. Don’t let the moving process add extra anxiety to the mix.
Keep these independent and assisted living moving tips in mind to make the process easier on yourself:
- Start early. If possible, begin sorting through belongings a few months before the move-in date to avoid last-minute scrambling. You may need more time to prepare than you think.
- Prioritize what you need and love. Moving as a senior often means downsizing. Letting go of unneeded items can make your new space more comfortable and feel liberating. Keep necessary, practical belongings and meaningful items like family photos, your favorite chairs or heirlooms. Learn how to make decluttering and downsizing manageable.
- Get moving support. Enlist the help of family, friends or professional senior moving services to provide physical and logistical assistance. The senior community of your choice should be able to provide you with a list of local moving resources.
- Stay positive. Focus on the benefits of your move. If you’re moving to a senior community like Cordia in Westmont, you can look forward to new friendships, chef-prepared meals, less home maintenance, engaging events, wellness programs and much more!
4 Tips for Adults Moving a Senior
If you are helping a loved one move to a new place, such as assisted living, it is important to be understanding and patient. Give the process time, and take it step by step. This move is a great opportunity to ensure your loved one has a home where they feel comfortable, safe and supported.
Here’s the best way to help someone downsize:
- Listen and ask for input. A move can be emotional for older adults, especially if they’re leaving a longtime home. Involve them in decisions, and always listen to their concerns.
- Tackle one thing at a time. Instead of trying to declutter and pack everything at once, focus on one room or category (clothes, décor, etc.) at a time. Start with rooms and items that aren’t used as frequently.
- Be respectful of sentimental items. Keep what really matters to the person you are helping move. If some beloved items just won’t fit, consider giving them to a family member or close friend. This can make parting with the item a bit easier.
- Set up the new home with a familiar layout. For example, place a favorite chair near the TV, and put the bedside table on the same side of the bed. Familiarity eases the transition.
Moving Checklist for Seniors and Caregivers
To outline and organize the process, use this senior moving checklist.
Before the Move
- Declutter: Sort belongings into categories: keep, donate, gift, sell or discard.
- Measure furniture: Make sure pieces will comfortably fit in the new space.
- Collect and digitize documents: Gather medical records, legal papers, and financial documents. Scan important documents, save the digital files in a folder on your computer and shred and recycle the scanned papers. Reducing paperwork will save you a surprising amount of space.
- Update your address: Notify the post office, banks, doctors and subscription services.
- Schedule movers or helpers: Family, friends and movers can all provide help for a senior’s moving process.
- Find a pet sitter: Prevent accidents and minimize furry friends’ stress by asking a friend or family member to watch them on decluttering days and moving day.
- Transfer services: Ensure your utilities and services, like internet, will be activated at your new home. Many retirement communities, like Cordia, include utilities in an all-inclusive monthly fee.
Packing
- Gather supplies: You’ll need boxes, tape, bubble wrap or newspaper, packing blankets, ratchet straps, markers, labels, garbage bags and cleaning supplies.
- Label boxes: Label information should include the room name and the contents. For example, “bedroom – dress shoes” or “kitchen – silverware.”
- Pack a “first night” bag: Pack essentials like medications, toiletries, comfortable clothes and bedding in a separate suitcase or box so they’re easily accessed on the first night.
- Protect sentimental items: Wrap keepsakes in bubble wrap or soft clothing to protect them and maximize your packing space. If necessary, write “fragile” on the box.
- Organize medications: Keep medications in their original containers, and transport them in a single box so they are easy to find.
Clean as you go: Once a room is emptied, designate some helpers to clean it while others are packing the next room.
Day of the Move
- Keep pathways clear: Avoid tripping hazards while moving boxes and furniture.
- Prepare snacks and water: Moving days can be long and tiring. Stay fed and hydrated!
- Load furniture first: Heavy, solid items should be loaded at the base of the truck and well-secured.
- Clean your new space: Go to your new space with helpers to vacuum, wipe down hard surfaces and scrub the bathroom.
- Confirm the layout: Minimize furniture shuffling by deciding where it will be placed beforehand.
After the Move
- Unpack essentials first: Set up the bedroom and bathroom before tackling other rooms.
- Arrange familiar items: Display photos, favorite blankets and decorations to create a sense of home.
- Check your old place: Inspect your old home to be sure it’s clean and nothing was accidentally left behind.
- Get involved: After a retirement community move, meet neighbors and participate in programming and events to start building new connections.
Upsize Your Community at Cordia
Moving and downsizing later in life is a big adjustment. With organization and support, it can be a positive start to a new chapter. When you move into a senior living community, it’s a chance to enjoy a simpler lifestyle with more opportunities for connection. A smaller space means fewer chores and fewer belongings to manage. A community like Cordia in Westmont is a wonderful place to meet like-minded friends and discover new activities through our full program schedule.
Simplify your space while growing your community at Cordia! Learn more when you call (630) 887-7000 or schedule a visit.