Tips for Moving Seniors With the Best Moving Companies.
The stress and difficulties of the moving experience are overwhelming for anyone. Yet, seniors often face difficulty moving during their ripe golden years. The best moving companies have some pro tips for moving seniors.
Moving a loved one into a smaller home, assisted living, or moving them into your home is a challenging time for both of you. Moving a senior citizen comes with obstacles, even with the best moving companies. Transitioning an older person into a new environment and getting them used to letting go of their treasured possessions yields some complications. Additionally, elders may have health issues, and often there are safety concerns that further impede the move from running smoothly. For these reasons, senior citizens may require added assistance while downsizing, planning, and during physically relocating. This process can be overwhelming for all involved. Here are some tips from the moving professionals at True Friends Moving Company.
Moving industry tips for helping an elderly loved one move.
When faced with helping a senior citizen move, the first thing to consider is how much help you can offer. Are you available to walk them step by step through the process and overcome obstacles along the way? Will you be helping them from afar? In this capacity, you may be able to take on a lot of the planning. Or, if you are local, how long is your travel time? Is it realistic to be involved daily or weekly? It's best to fully understand the work ahead of you. Downsizing, planning, and the physical requirements of moving day are highly stressful. This article hopefully helps prepare you and makes some of these transitions run smoothly. If you'd like further tips on reducing your moving day stress, try our blog Moving Services and Moving Tips To Reduce the Stress of Moving Day.
There are professionals you can hire that help with planning a move. Consider hiring a compassionate, moving manager. You can hire an accredited move manager through the National Association of Senior Move Managers. These professionals handle planning, packing services, organizing, and all aspects of the move. Move managers offer anything from full-service packing and moving to hourly advice organizing and finding solutions for all your moving service needs.
The best movers suggest making a moving plan.
The best practice when moving a senior citizen is to have a flexible game plan. Create a strategy that allows them to be as active or nonparticipating as they feel comfortable. Remember, they may not be ready or pleased with the move. Allow time to slow down and be flexible as long as you're seeing progress. Give yourself progress milestones and stick to them as much as possible while allowing the rest to remain fluctuant. Elders may have trouble making some of the decisions. Sometimes they may want to help but become too overwhelmed with the moving experience to be productive. An elderly person's moving plan is best if you establish tasks with a flexible timeline. Have someone ready to take on the responsibilities your elder wishes to do in case they need assistance. Decide what items are moving to the new location and what you intend to give away, donate, or dispose of. Be aware of how your loved one responds to the move as things get underway. Keep an eye out for signs of depression, anxiety, and confusion that may lead to Relocation Stress Syndrome. When communicating with your elders, encourage them to get plenty of rest and be aware of their feelings, stress levels, and personal limitations throughout the process.
Milestones:
Two months out -
Set tasks for anyone helping with the move.
Begin to settle on a moving date. Weekdays often are less stressful and cost less with movers and helpers.
Choose what furniture moves with you. If possible, get a floor plan of the new space, so you have a realistic idea of what furniture fits nicely in the home.
Begin the downsizing process. See our section on downsizing below.
Make decisions on what amount of help you need and what will be DIY. Consider a moving manager and packing services.
Call True Friends Moving Company to discuss moving options. Different moving companies offer select services. True Friends Moving Company's specialty services include the Long distance move and Interstate move, Local move, Senior living moves, Corporate relocation, Vehicle shipping, Commercial moves, and Apartment and Condo moves.
One Month out -
Reserve your moving company, True Friends Moving Company, for the chosen moving date. If you need car shipping for an interstate move, ensure you discuss that ahead of time in the quote.
Contact utilities to coordinate shut-off and turn-on service dates.
Complete a change of address form with the USPS.
Notify the bank, pharmacy, and other services of your change of address.
Complete the downsizing process.
Start packing small items. For packing tips, read; What are moving companies' secrets to packing quickly and safely?
Two weeks out -
Confirm the moving date with the moving company, helpers, and family members. Even the best moving companies benefit everyone by confirming the scheduled dates.
Prefill any prescriptions needed for the weeks surrounding the move date.
Put the packing into high gear and affirm it's on the timeline for moving day.
Three - five days before the big day -
Pack all remaining items.
Pack an overnight bag for a few days containing all the essentials.
Plan how to get your meals on moving day.
Confirm with all helpers the times and schedule for moving day.
Moving day -
Speak to the moving company. Get the mover's preferred means of communication in case you need to reach them during the move, and confirm they have the correct address.
Supervise movers and make sure that nothing is overlooked or missed.
After the movers unpack the truck, tip your movers.
Downsizing one's belongings is difficult.
When faced with moving seniors, one of the first obstacles is often getting them comfortable with downsizing. A straightforward way to reduce stress is simply to ask what they want to keep focusing on a positive mindset rather than concentrating on loss. It's always best to talk to our loved ones and see what they want and their concerns during the move. The easiest way to know how much you'll need to declutter is by getting accurate measurements of the new space. Ask for a floor plan to narrow down what fits the new home. Also, getting your senior citizen’s decisions on room layouts will make moving day more efficient.
Depending on the size of the home, downsizing can be an entire chore of its own. Eliminating a whole house full of items requires some declutter planning and standard downsizing methods to complete the task.
Make a list of all items to remove and consider getting rid of things by methods such as yard sales and donating items to Goodwill. Also, asking family and friends to take items often comforts the elderly by knowing their loved ones will now enjoy their beloved belongings. When there is an entire estate, look into an auction house or estate sale. Also, consignment shops often take in high-end furniture and brand-name accessories. Any way you choose to downsize significantly saves your moving budget. Debate the cost of buying new furniture Vs. the expense of moving it in a long distance move.
If your senior is moving into a family member's home, eliminate duplicates, especially in the kitchen with plate ware and cookware. For excessive trinkets and baubles, discuss removing items that will get boxed and put into storage.
Start packing early and effortlessly.
Start early and begin by packing the least used room. Observe how your elderly loved one is reacting to the change. Their reactions likely set your pace for the rest of the move. An excellent way to begin may be starting with an area that has little emotional attachment, such as the laundry room.
Move as slowly as comfortable, spreading the work out and allowing your loved one time to appreciate their memories. Discussing the moving plan and meeting the milestones will ease everyone's mind. It's important to discuss with your senior citizen how they want the new apartment to look. Should it mimic the familiarity of the old home, or would they appreciate a fresh start with a few things they've always longed to splurge on?
Know your limits, and hire the best movers to lend a hand.
Moving is a lot of work and heavy lifting. True Friends Moving Company offers moving services from full service packing to loading and unloading. Hiring the best moving companies for your senior's move is the smart choice. With all the packing and heavy lifting, a professional moving company's crew takes the stress out of moving day. Hire help; True Friends Moving Company is an affordable solution for all your moving services needs. Our senior’s moving services provide specialized services such as,
Comprehensive packing and labeling services
Complimentary floor protection and furniture padding
Free disassembly and reassembly of your furniture
Free disconnection and reconnection of your appliances (excluding gas)
Flat hourly rates and low everyday prices
On-time pickup and delivery
Free removal of unwanted but usable household items
Furniture assembled and room layout
Appliances connections
TV connections
We'll get your senior moved quickly and comfortably. It's our quality guarantee.
Make sure to consider unpacking and the unique needs of your senior after relocation.
Leaving an older adult in a state of disarray can be extremely stressful for them. Remember to allocate time to help them set up any technology and items you are aware they may have difficulties with. Mount their TV and hook up the computer back to its original setups. On moving day, take photos of cords and wire connections to help when reconnecting complicated electronics. Refer to your photos to help with setting up the new home.
Remember your elders' particular needs. Fill prescriptions ahead of time and transfer them to the new pharmacy. Make an overnight bag that contains all the essentials for a few days. Therefore, if unpacking is not complete, no one is stressed first thing in the morning looking for necessary items. Make certain to include a clean set of sheets and toilet paper.
Whoever manages the change of address and notification to essential parties, consider going digital. Ask your loved one if they would like you to set up billing services to the new address and set up automatic payments to simplify their living. Geriatrics often benefit from these services but have difficulty getting them started.
Looking in on a senior after moving day.
If performing a local move, it's likely that the relocation and unpacking are happening all in one day. Set a return date to check on how your senior is progressing and take care of anything that movers may have overlooked. Moving day can be mentally taxing, but they may feel lonely once everyone leaves. Setting up the next visit may help to relieve this anxiety. Ask other relatives in the area to drop by and see the new place while checking on your loved one. The reassurance that they are not alone or forgotten is essential and comforting to the entire moving experience.
True Friends Moving Company.
Do you want to relocate an elderly parent a considerable distance? Are you tired of looking through different moving companies for a reliable service you trust? When you want a good moving company with a reputable name in the moving industry, use True Friends Moving Company. A professional mover for the elderly with experience as a long distance mover or local mover.
We know your loved ones are important, and our compassionate senior moving services offer additional help and advice for older individuals. We are some of the best movers for long distance moving of seniors. Please call our friendly customer service and talk to a professional mover today! Get your questions answered and get a free senior moving quote. Whether you're moving from New York, San Francisco, or any major city across the country, we're your perfect moving option. True Friends Moving Company has excellent customer service, expert packing, and professional mover services. True Friends Moving Company has locations if you need a local move in Nashville, Tennessee, or Tampa, Florida. We are the best moving company to bring you, your loved ones, and all their belongings anywhere you need. Moving companies are not all the same. See the friendly difference in the professionals at True Friends Moving Company.