Helping with the Move to a Senior Community

If your parent has reached the time in their life where they no longer wish to maintain a home or need help with daily personal care activities, moving into senior independent living or assisted living is the perfect solution. You will have peace of mind knowing their needs are being met and they are safe and comfortable.  However, as much of the task of helping them move will likely fall on your shoulders, you have probably begun to realize that paring back a lifetime’s worth of possessions is a bit overwhelming.  Not to worry, there are many good books on the topic as well as useful tips on the Internet.  

Organizing experts caution that the job can be complicated and fraught with emotion because as you see a pile of stuff to sort through and toss; your parent sees treasures and memories.  Begin by creating a list of things your parent will need at their new place (keep in mind the size) and adding in the treasured items and personal belongings they want to keep.  If something is hard for them to part with, help them to think of a family member or friend they would like to give it to.  Also remind them if they sell the item, they can use the money toward something better suited for their new home such as a smaller couch or coffee table.    

Now the experts recommend going from room to room and to start sorting by keep, toss, or donate piles.  In addition, rather than always asking your parent what they want to keep or get rid of, winnow down the selection, and then ask them yes or no questions.  Presorting items also helps to avoid keeping lots of multiple items. 

By measuring the size of your parent’s new apartment, you can create a floor plan to realistically show how well their furnishings will fit.  Include the amount of cupboards and storage space they will have to help you know how much is too much.  Remember you do not want the new place to be so crowded that they can barely move safely about. 

Keep in mind that if your parent is moving into a community such as MorningStar of Billings, we do most of the cooking and serve the food in our lovely dining room.  Also our well-designed suites come equipped with mini blinds, carpeting, and lots of overhead lighting.  Please visit our website to learn more about our beautiful senior living community.      

MorningStar of Billings offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents.  We encourage you to contact us for more information regarding unparalleled senior independent living, assisted living and memory care.