While relocating has never been easy, relocating with an elderly person comes with its challenges. This is a decision that most people put off until they don’t have any other option—and leads to a more stressful situation. When moving with an elderly person, you can easily be overwhelmed by the things you should do, and this can send you down to an emotional roller coaster.
With that, you must understand that you will need time to plan, as well as professional assistance. Also, knowing when to relocate, as well as advanced planning for the new home, and decluttering your beforehand can help reduce the stress of moving with elders.
So, let’s look at the top 6 hints for a comfortable relocation with elders.
Communication and options
Elderly people tend to be emotionally connected with the home they are leaving—meaning, you should expect sadness and some level of anxiety in case of relocation. Also, it can be a hard conversation to have with your elderly parents—but, it’s always advisable to give them time to mourn the change, and discuss their new home—this will help the transition to be easier.
When asked to relocate, the common cause of distress for seniors is the apparent loss of control. Therefore, it’s important to give your elderly parents as many options as possible when making your plans to move.
Consider using professional senior moving services
In case you will not be with your loved one during the move, consider seeking professional assistance. Today we have professional senior moving services, which specialize in organizing and relocating elderly people. This is what you can do:
- Hire a professional – assistance from an expert can help to make the emotional part of relocating. Even if you will be with your loved one when moving, bringing in a third party to assist you in making some of the tough decisions can help to tone down tension and conflicts among the family.
- Find moving companies that focus on the elderly – according to the experts from www.torexmoving.ca there are experts with professional backgrounds in social work, gerontology, psychology, project management, and health care—these experts can give you all the required resources for a seamless relocation with elders.
- Seek assistance after relocating – most senior moving services partner with professional organizations that can provide after-move processes, like staging, cleaning, estate sales, and other services.
In addition to this, you will need to plan for their health care. Check to see whether there are any doctors near your home, and how long it would take for you to drive to the nearest doctor. Besides, you must consider how far the new home will be to the nearest pharmacy, and if possible, set up mail-order prescriptions—this will save you a lot of time and money.
Sort out and organize their belongings
There’s a lot of downsizing required when relocating with elders. Now, this will need you to go through their items one by one with your team. To make the process easier, categorize all the items in the following order:
- Items that should be moved
- Mementos to remain with the family
- Things to be donated or sold
- Items to be discarded
Please note that your elderly parents might have accumulated a lot of things. And you must respect their emotional connection to their personal belongings. Besides, you must allow your seniors to reminisce while you sort out their belongings. The last thing you’d like to be is a packing robot—one who doesn’t have feelings. Remember, these are not basic items—they are memories. Thus, you need to be open to emotions, particularly if this was your childhood home.
Seek help from your relatives
Moving with the elderly is unquestionably a big and challenging job, and you will need assistance from your family. So, never shy away from asking for assistance. Talk to your siblings or close relatives to create time to help you with the job. Even your kids or younger family members can participate. Surrounding your elderly parents with loved ones can help to manage the emotional distress of moving.
Tell your elderly parents the benefits of their new home
Now, if your parents have lived in the same place for over 30 years, it’s very easy for them to hold on to the thing they are leaving behind. But, did you know that you can assist them to move on—yes, by reminding them of the new opportunities that await them after the relocation? And, here is how you can do it:
- Let them know the positives of their new home – if your parents love art, check to see if there are any art centers in your new home.
- Re-create their routines – most elderly parents are weekly churchgoers. Now, if your parent does that, plan to have a congregation in the new home waiting to welcome them.
- Get things that will make them happy – before your moving day, go online and search for activity calendars for the elderly, and identify the activities that your parents will enjoy.
Prepare the new home
Lastly, you will need to prepare the new home to best accommodate the needs of your elderly parents. You can add some easy fixes like night lights, an electric stairlift, a walk-in bathtub, safety rails in different areas, as well as a ramp at your outside door—all these should be geared towards increasing the comfort of your elderly parents.
