Moving is usually stressful, but it can certainly be highly emotional for seniors. Here’s the best way to be there for your elderly loved ones. When moving day arrives for an elderly relative or friend, emotions could possibly be running high, but you’ll want risk of physical injury to be low. From packing their things to the big moving day, the key to a successful move is great planning and communication. Here’s how you can support your loved ones throughout a move.
How to Best Support Seniors on Moving Day
Downsizing helpDownsizing means letting go of possessions – some of which might have a lifetime of memories attached. Deciding what things to keep and what to let go of is often an emotional journey. A safer home with less clutter and fewer hazards could be the reward, but your loved ones will need your help to keep on track.Plan ahead. Start sorting early. Give your loved ones enough time they will need to make good choices about which possessions they will likely keep. This is an emotional time; enable them plenty of time to process. Know how much space is in their new home. Take a trip to your loved ones’ new property and measure the size of their rooms and closets. Write down these dimensions to use as reference for how much they can bring.
Stay realistic. Speak to your loved ones honestly in regards to what they are going to need in their new place. Remain realistic about the limitations of their new space. Separate out what they need from what they want. Keep some nonessential. There’ll be a few items your loved ones can’t bear to do without. Look for a creative way to display them inside the new place so that the new house feels more like home.
Don’t eliminate what they can control. Keep your loved ones involved with the moving process. Allow them to have as much choice as you possibly can. You are able to limit their choices but let them have control by asking, “This or that?”
Pack smartly
Moving is not just an emotional process, but a physically taxing one. Make certain everyone stays safe on moving day by packing smart. Pack a bag of essentials. It should include medications, toiletries, reading glasses, pajamas along with a change of clothing for each person moving. This tends to keep your loved ones comfortable throughout the move and prevent important items from being misplaced.
Leave the light packing to your loved one. Your elderly loved ones may wish to help. Have them stick to light items like clothing. To minimize back strain, lay everything out on a table as opposed to the floor. Don’t overload boxes. If a box is uncomfortable to lift and maneuver, it’s already too heavy. Spread items out instead of loading them all in just one box. Use a dolly to move heavy or bulky items.
Pack in a logical order. Pack like items together and label boxes clearly. You’ll be able to find what your loved one would like to unpack first, without having to dig through everything else.
Move safely
On the big moving day there will be a lot of heavy objects being moved and items put where they shouldn’t be. Keep a close eye out to make sure everyone involved stays safe. Take multiple days. If possible, spread out the moving process. Start moving non essentials into the new place before your loved ones make the move. The more you set up now, the less stressful the final moving day will likely be.
Plan where everything will go. The more times you move a box, the more danger there is of straining your back. Don’t move things unless you know where they will go. Keep hallways and pathways clear. Organize boxes in neat piles clear of heavy traffic zones. Trim overgrown shrubs or tree branches that cross paths. Place mats over slippery surfaces.
Lift properly. Squat down and lift with your legs and arms, not the back. Wear comfortable, nonrestrictive clothing and closed-toe shoes. Enlist the help of relatives. Moving isn’t a one-person job. Your loved ones will need all of the help they can get. Call your relatives over and have them help with the heavy lifting.
More than just a move
Moving will be tough on you and the family, but bear in mind that it is your loved ones who will be leaving their home behind. Relocating to a new house is more than just the move itself. It’s meeting new neighbors and exploring a new neighborhood. It’s unpacking and decorating the blank walls. It’s remembering where the extra soap was put, and getting used to new noises outside at night. The transition is going to take time. Be there for your loved ones. They are going to need your support during this time of change.