Helping Your Elderly Parents Move

When you were a kid, you probably never imagined there would come a day when your parents needed your support more than you needed theirs. However, if your elderly parents ever opt to move, they’ll need you to assist them. Moving is difficult for anybody, but it is challenging for seniors who have lost a lot of their mobility over the years. Furthermore, as individuals grow older, they are more inclined than ever to forget about the little things. That’s why, in this article, we’ll share all you need to know about helping your elderly parents move house.

Is It A Good Time For Your Elderly Parents To Move?

Before we get started with how you can help your elderly parents move, we need first to ask one crucial question: is moving a good idea? It all depends on their specific circumstances. To decide whether it’s a good idea, consider their age, their ability to perform activities of daily living without assistance, and their medical needs. For example, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to move into a new home if a nursing home is what would be more suitable for them and their needs. However, if they’re still holding up well and can do most activities without assistance, moving may not be so terrible, especially if they’re moving to a closer neighborhood.

Talk To Your Elderly Parents

Even if you disagree with this idea 100%, you have to go into this with an open mind. Be open and honest with your parents. Discuss their needs with them instead of making assumptions by yourself. Maybe, in the end, you’ll all agree this is the best option for them, and perhaps you’ll find a different solution together. Just make sure you inform them about all possible options. For example, take some time to explain the benefits of assisted living vs. nursing homes and the level of care they’ll receive there.

Begin By Helping Them Downsize

Before packing and preparing for the big day, make sure you clear out all the clutter. It’s senseless to relocate useless junk from one place to the next since it takes up a lot of room. Clutter just adds to the bag’s weight and makes it more difficult to load the essentials. That’s why you should start by sorting through everything and discarding or donating what you don’t need. However, do not decide what should be discarded on your own. Include your elderly parents in the process and let them make most of the decisions.

Packing

When you’ve successfully thrown out or given away all of the goods you don’t want to keep, it’s time to start packing. Whether your elderly parents are moving into a skilled nursing facility or the house across the street, they will undoubtedly need the most assistance when packing. This is both because they shouldn’t be lifting heavy stuff and forgetfulness. To make sure you don’t forget anything, make a list of everything you’ll need to bring. Sort the items into categories and place them in a box with a certain number. This will help you stay organized; Once the move is over, this will also help make the unpacking process go much more smoothly.

Tips For Helping Your Elderly Parents Pack for The Move

When it comes to helping your elderly parents pack, it’s all about saving as much time as possible and making everything easy for them. For example, you can save a lot of time unpacking if you think ahead and plan out the layout of their future home. That way, they won’t have to figure things out on the go. Instead, you’ll be able to start unpacking and know where everything will go. This will save you so much time.

Another great tip when helping your elderly parents move house? Pack them a box or a bag of essentials that they keep on hand at all times. This bag should contain all the medication they’re taking as well as some toiletries and other essential items.

The Moving Day

Do your elderly parents have a lot of stuff or are they moving a long distance? If so, you probably can’t move them by yourself. What’s more, your family and friends might not have the will or the time to help your parents move either. However, that’s no reason to worry. If you need it, know that reliable help is available, and you can always hire a moving company to help take the load off. The movers you hire will take care of every detail when it comes to moving; you just have to give them the time and the place. They’ll help you efficiently transfer your parents’ belongings without any damage or losses and with minimum stress.

Unpacking

Making the new place feel like their last house after the move could benefit your older parents. You can accomplish this by filling their new home with their old belongings. Make their residence, for example, appear more like their former one by arranging the furnishings in a specific way. Furthermore, don’t just put things where you believe they go. Place the items they use in the locations they anticipate them to be when unpacking. This way, they won’t have to adjust to an entirely new layout. Instead, they’ll be able to locate anything they want nearly as effortlessly as they did in their previous residence.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to helping your elderly parents move house, the most important thing is to have patience with them. Elders might be challenging to cope with sometimes. However, put yourself in their shoes for a minute, and you’ll understand. Consider how difficult this all must be for them. They’re leaving their home filled with memories and getting used to such a significant shift in their life. So, moving away is probably one of the hardest things they’ve ever done. So, make sure you’re there for them. Offer them emotional support, and understand that they might simply need more time to adjust to everything.