Tips On Making Your Parent’s Move Stress-Free

As your parent’s age, deciding where your parents live is a major decision and deserves serious consideration from you and your parents. You may have to decide to move your parents into a safer atmosphere whether it is with yourselves or in a home for seniors where their needs are met with. If you decide that it is important to move your parents, below are recommendations that can potentially make your parents move easier:

• Give them enough time

Your parents may feel emotionally attached to their home. They might feel uneasy when you first bring up the idea of moving. They will need time to process and accept this idea. It is important that you make them feel heard and make this decision with them. Provide them with the time to come to the same conclusion, this will make them feel more confident and less distressed!

• Deciding on living arrangements

During this conversation, it is important to consider the level of care your parents will need in their new home. They may have need for continuous care and support. Caring for seniors can be challenging if you and your parents are not prepared for it in advance. Understand your parent’s requirements and let them provide you with suggestions and insights on how they would prefer their living arrangements and care structure.

The housing situation you decide with your parents will be based on required care, available facilities, location, and finances. If your parents are not planning to live with you, create a list of pros and cons for each housing choice in your neighbourhood. Include the proximity to relatives as this may cause worry amongst siblings. Often, family members who live closer have more opportunities to be with parents. It is necessary to create an open dialogue with the family and come to an agreement on the accommodation and potential of quality care. Your parents should have the ultimate say at the time of the decision-making.

Prior to deciding on a senior home, visit multiple facilities. This will help your parents get a feel for the environment. Take notes on the ways the staff interacts with residents, what activities they offer, and the quality of care. You can also look at online reviews from past guests and talk to seniors who are in the nursing home.

• Downsizing could be important

Most seniors have probably lived in their own homes for decades and would have acquired many belongings. This makes it pertinent to organize belongings into lots your parents or you are keeping, donating, throwing away, and preserving as heirlooms.

It is important to consider that some of those belongings would have memories and your parents might feel attached to them. Allow your parents to help guide you on which lot to put their belongings in. Their belongings are more than just objects for them, they are memories.

As you put everything in order, picture where belongings will go in their new house. How much space do they have? Where will the furniture go? Create a model of the home on paper to help you think about what their new living plan will look like.

• Hiring a moving company

Booking a specialized moving company will help ease the stress on you and your parents. In fact, your parents may feel more comfortable talking with a subjective 3rd party rather than having a word with their children. Experienced moving service providers that have the expertise in moving seniors will provide you and your parents with a stress-free moving making the moving process smoother for you.

You may want to have them pack the personal effects to save time and reduce stress. They have the necessary materials and knowledge to make sure your family heirlooms and valuables stay unharmed. This allows you to concentrate on your parents as they move to their new home.

• Settling in the new home

Take the moving process slowly to make sure that you and your parents have enough time to get used to the newness and have a smooth transition.

Your parents may need days, weeks, or months to adjust to their new living plan, irrespective of the fact that it might be with you, or in a nursing home. Check in with them often to ensure that they feel safe and comfortable. Every person reacts to moving differently. Some might feel relief from not having to take care of their home. Others might feel it unsettling. Provide your parents with plenty of family support during this stage. 

If making your parent’s move stress-free is your goal, you can always count on the trusted and experienced mover – Tippet Richardson. Since 1927, we have been helping people seniors relocate with ease. Contact us today at 416-292-4555!