The process of moving at any age is stressful, but even more so for seniors. Lots of memories, treasured possessions, and routines are at stake. Whether you’re relocating to a compact residence, an assisted living community, or a new city where family is closer, proper help can make all the difference.
It covers nine practical tips to make your move easier, such as choosing the best senior moving company in Nebraska and getting settled in your new home.
1. Begin Planning ASAP!
Many families are unaware of how much time a move requires for an elderly person. Downsizing decades of possessions, coordinating medical records, and arranging new service providers add additional layers of complexity.
Start the planning process at least 3-6 months before your target move date. Make a list of all the housing, utilities, health, and financial needs. Engage family members or use the senior move manager right from the start, and plan one activity each day to prevent decision fatigue!
Last-minute panic can be avoided with proper planning.
2. Hiring An Expert Senior Relocation Company
Not all movers are the same. An experienced company knows the emotional side of senior relocations and has patience, sensitivity, knowledge, and experience that you may not find in a traditional moving firm.
Key Factors to Consider When Hiring a Moving Company for Seniors
Seek out various forms of training for working with older people and individuals with mobility issues. Packing, transport, unpacking, and furniture placement should be covered by full service. Check for positive reviews from other senior residents or their families, and be sure to check for clear pricing, licensing, and insurance.
Inquire from prospective movers about the percentage of moves that are made by seniors. Their response will tell you all you need to know.
3. Reduce purposefully, not quickly
Downsizing, or moving to a smaller home for the elderly, can be the most upsetting portion of a moving day for seniors. It can be confusing and overwhelming to go through 40 years or 50 years of possessions and to make hasty decisions that then bring regret.
Tips for smart downsizing:
- Classify items into 4 groups: keep, donate, sell, or throw.
- Include the senior in all big decisions.
- Independence is very important.
- Do not work on the entire house at once, but rather step by step, room by room.
- When you need some expert advice about what to keep since your new space is just so small, think about getting the services of downsizing contractors who live in your area.
- Donating items to local senior centers, shelters, or libraries is a great way to help those in need, or use an estate sale to dispose of items you’ll no longer need.
Take time to mourn. Impatiently bidding goodbye to a cherished armchair hurts more than expected.
4. Use A Professional Senior Packing And Unpacking Service.
Packing is a tough job, both physically and mentally. When seniors have medical issues or are not as mobile, trying to move the whole house by themselves may cause injury and burnout.
Reasons Why Senior Packing And Unpacking Services Are Worth It
Specialists take care of valuable and fragile items using the right materials. Packing and unpacking teams are highly trained and skilled in ensuring that medical equipment, mobility aids, and medication storage can be handled with care. At the other extreme, unpacking services aren’t just about putting boxes in; they’re about putting furniture in, hanging pictures, and setting up the kitchen to make the new home a home. This will bring down the physical load of both the elderly and their family to a great extent.
A good unpacking crew isn’t just about emptying boxes. They contribute to making a new home feel like home.
5. Use Local Unpacking Contractors that are familiar with the location.
The difference between the national moving chains and local unboxing contractors residing in your community is well worth considering. A local working contractor can offer you much greater flexibility in both hours and service, and a deeper commitment to your satisfaction.
They know the local building regulations, elevator reservation, and parking arrangement. They may also have recommendations for local, trusted handymen, utilities, and health services. Follow-up visits can be more rapid, and reputation is important in the community; word of mouth is a key way for local contractors to remain relevant.
With the local hires, you’re not simply getting the movers. You’re getting neighbors.
6. Make Storage Solutions Before Moving Day
Many seniors don’t need to get rid of everything yet, and/or the new home doesn’t have space for everything that they’re holding onto. Having a solid plan for the storage and set-up in your home ensures that moving day does not create chaos.
Senior Moves Storage Tips
Use a climate-controlled unit for furniture, artwork, and family heirlooms. Label all storage boxes with the contents and also the priority of the item — soon or long-term. Use residential storage and set up professionals in Omaha, NE, to help establish a system instead of boxes. When relocating to a smaller apartment or senior community, take measurements before making decisions on what stays and what goes.
Consider storage as a bridge and not a solution, temporary space and time to make choices without pressure.
7. Talk about Big Picture with Relocation Assistance Services
A senior move is more than just about physical items. There are people to send money to, friends to call, doctors to call, banks to check in with, and other people to reach out to.
What Relocation Assistance Covers
Address change services are available for government, bank, and subscription. They register seniors in the VA system and also transfer their prescriptions to a pharmacy in the new location; they arrange for community services and volunteer opportunities, and can assist with navigating the VA benefit system, Medicare transition, or any other senior benefit system.
Imagine they are the project manager for all the non-physical parts of the move that are important, but might otherwise fall through the cracks.
8. Hire a Senior Handyman Expert After The Move
When the furniture is finally installed, it’s not finished. There is a need for changes to the home, be it immediately or shortly after moving in, to make it safe and comfortable for an older adult.
Typical Post-Move Projects for Elderly Handyman Pros
Handyman experts typically fit grab handles around bathrooms, near stairs, anchor loose carpets and mattresses to prevent slips and falls, and adjust door handles and cabinet hardware for arthritic hands. They also install medical alert systems and video doorbells, set up shelving and storage that are easy to reach, and more.
These changes have an immediate effect on decreasing fall risk, one of the most common causes of injury for the elderly.
Allow The Senior Time To Emotionally Adjust To The Experience
The transition from one place to another, no matter how well organized and successful, can be an emotional move. It takes time for a new house to be yours. It is normal, and it should be celebrated.
Support for Emotional Well-Being During Transition
Have the familiar objects, the favorite lamp, the favorite chair, family photos, etc., stand out and be available in the new environment. Make new routines come easily: coffee rooms in the morning, walking paths, parks nearby. Meet neighbors and/or local senior groups as early as possible; set up a regular schedule for family member check-ins, especially during the first 30-60 days. Be sensitive to the senior’s grief around the old home; this is normal and part of a healthy transition.
Your most important moving service is the one you can offer to put somebody at ease.
About Silver Fox Senior Movers
Experience in relocation is a necessity, not a plus, when it’s time to move for a senior. With 28 years of experience, Silver Fox Senior Movers has earned the trust of older adults and their families through compassion, professionalism, and caring for each of their clients.
From a family home to a retirement home, or simply relocating closer to family members. If you’re starting to consider downsizing or are three weeks away from packing and moving, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that you’re not alone in the process.
Your Fresh Start Should Have A Smooth Beginning
A senior move is not a moving day. It’s a bridge between chapters, a bridge that is loaded with a lifetime and a future that is full of hope. It may be overcome gracefully with proper planning, a proper team, and a little patience.
If you’re starting to consider downsizing or are three weeks away from packing and moving, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that you’re not alone in the process. Whether it’s the top-rated senior moving company or specialized handyman help and empathetic moving company assistance, the resources are there to help make this transition truly manageable.
Call us today to start early, and allow yourself to take it one day at a time.
Your next house awaits — it will be just right.
Clients’ Concerns
What is the perfect time to hire a senior moving company?
It is recommended to plan for moving at least 8-12 weeks ahead of time, especially during the busy moving season between May and September.
Does packing and unpacking really have an impact on seniors?
Yes, and at times dramatically! Packing physically involves bending, lifting, and extended physical effort, and this can be hazardous for elderly persons with arthritis, heart disease, or limited mobility.
What adjustments must be made before moving into a new room?
Prepare for move-in: Have lighting in halls, stairs, and bedrooms (particularly night lights), have grab bars in the bathroom near the toilet and in the shower/tub, have non-slip mats in bathrooms, kitchen, and entryway.