A Place for Mom

Mom or Dad needs help. It has become difficult to live alone, but Mom or Dad still want to be independent. This is natural. This may be the time to consider moving to an assisted living facility. This decision is not an easy decision to make. There are challenges to meet, sacrifices that must be made and adjustments in lifestyle must be adopted. But sometimes it is the best decision.

Assisted Living is NOT the Same as a Nursing Home

“What is Assisted Living? Assisted living is part of a continuum of long term care services that provides a combination of housing, personal care services, and health care designed to respond to individuals who need assistance with normal daily activities in a way that promotes maximum independence.”

Managing the Moving Process – Downsizing

Moving can be stressful for anyone. Cutting back a lifetime of accumulation makes it even worse. This can be an emotionally painful and also physically arduous time. So many memories linger in our prized possessions. Sorting through these things can bring back both fond memories and difficult ones.

When the decision has been made to move to assisted living there are ways to make the process one that is as smooth and painless as possible. To help prepare for the move, Elmcroft website made a list of recommendations in an article, “Transition to Assisted Living,”

Set realistic expectations. Rome was not built in a day, nor can a lifetime of possessions be sorted out quickly. Be kind to yourself and realize this is a process that will take a little time.

Identify the most cherished possessions. You don’t need everything and some of your possessions mean more to you than others. Identify those you love.

Create a floor plan layout for the new home. Ask the manager for a floor plan and plan in advance how your furniture will be layed out. You will most likely not have room for all of it.

Begin sorting in rooms used the least.

Pack items according to which room they will be moved to in the new home.

Create a moving schedule.

Assemble a moving day box of everyday necessities, such as your medications, important papers and other items you do not want the movers to handle.

An additional suggestion is that a first pass through the possessions by a trusted family member can be helpful and prevent Mom or Dad from being so overwhelmed.

First Pass Checklist

This checklist will help you get organized for a senior loved one’s move: If you have a senior family member that needs to move, do a first pass and remove these things for them.

1. Plastic kitchen ware which includes utensils, containers,

2. Used plastic storage bags,

3. Glass vases that were used for flower. delivery,

4. Mismatched glasses and excess coffee mugs,

5. Massive amounts of linens that are no longer needed,

6. Books…tough one, but please, if it isn’t going to be read again or use it for reference, it needs to be enjoyed by someone else,

7. Clothes that are the same design and color. Ten tops of blue stripes are unnecessary,

8. Old spices and food packets,

9. Excess pictures that sit on tables. Put them in albums or take digital photos and load to a digital picture frame for them.

10. A deceased spouse’s clothes or doodads. See if they will part with these things. As a family member, even if you don’t want furniture or dishes or whatever, please just say you will take it and do what you want with it. It is soothing for the elderly to think the family has something they cannot take with them.

We hope this article for moving an elderly parent to an assisted living community helps make the transition to a new chapter in life a positive one! Thank you!

By Patsy Davis, May 24, 2021

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