8 Ways to Help Senior Family Members Move Home

8 Ways to Help Senior Family Members Move Home

Moving is stressful and can be quite distressing, especially if you are leaving the only house you’ve ever known all of your adult life. These feelings are exacerbated for elderly people – they will be leaving behind a big part of their life, only having their belongings, photographs and fond memories to take with them. If you are moving to a new house and you have an elderly member of the family, you can make it less stressful for them.

8 Ways to Make the Move Easier for Elderly Family Members

8 Ways to make the move easier for elderly family members

It doesn’t matter whether the new house is just a few kilometres from the old one or in another state. There are ways to make the move less taxing and stressful that your senior family members will appreciate.

1. Create a floor plan of the new home

Before you start packing, be sure to get a hold of a blueprint of the new house or draw out a scale picture yourself. This will help you to create a more accurate floor plan and determine which furniture to take. Measure all furniture to see whether they will fit in the new house, go through every room and create a list of the belongings that your senior family members will need. This will give you a better idea of what to bring with you.

2. Get your elderly family members more involved

What might seem like clutter to you could be something that has a sentimental value to your elderly parents. So, if they are physically able, give them an active role in the process. Let them decide which belongings they want to dispose of and which ones they would like to keep and always bear in mind the old adage, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” to help you to respect their wishes.

Whilst most people would want to buy new things for their new house, elderly people tend to feel more comfortable sitting in their favourite old couch. It is important for them to hang on to familiar things to help them feel more at home in their new environment. This, along with getting them involved in the process of moving, makes them feel more in control of their life.

3. Donate or sell excess items

Usually, downsizing is necessary when moving elderly parents and other family members to their new house. Don’t be surprised to see a long list of excess items that you need to dispose of. Consider donating furniture and other belongings that are still in decent shape to op-shops and other charitable organisations.

Alternatively, you can hold your own garage sale a few weeks before moving day so that you still have time to dispose of any unsold items.

4. Put non-essential belongings into storage

There are items that your loved ones are not ready to part with yet but can’t be taken into your new house. Perhaps they want to pass them down to the younger generations. Whatever their reason, you need to find ways to help them keep these belongings. One way is to rent a storage unit. Storage facilities are easy to access, secure and convenient for people who need a temporary place to store their things.

5. Ask family members for help

Downsizing your elderly parents’ belongings and relocating them to their new house is not an easy task. You’re going to need the help of your siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces and other family members to make chore simpler. Assign each family member a task or a room to sort and pack. The more people that you can get to enlist, the easier it would be for everyone involved. Having a handful of people around might also take some of the stress away from your parents.

If family and friends are not available to help out, you can hire a trusted, careful and hard-working removals company, like Best Removalists, Newcastle. Whichever removalist company you choose, be sure to do a background check and choose a company that understands your needs and can provide the caring service that you require.

Organise the travel ahead of time

6. Organise the travel ahead of time

Moving an elderly loved one to a new environment takes a lot of consideration. Their health condition as well as any mobility issues will determine how you move them.

If you are flying, for example, be sure to inform the airline that you will be needing a wheelchair and any other assistance. If you are driving, make sure that your car is easily accessible. Compact sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are ideal for travelling with an elderly person because they are easier to get in and out of unlike low-slung sports cars.

7. Find a new doctor as soon as possible

Don’t get side-tracked by all the sorting and packing. Finding a new doctor for your elderly parents should be at the top of your to-do list before making the big move. Call a few months before moving day to schedule an appointment with the new doctor, especially if you suspect that the travel may affect the health condition of your loved ones.

Also, inform their current doctor about the move on your list – you may need to take them in for a visit before you leave or to have their prescription refilled.

Before you move, make sure that all legal documents are in order. If your elderly parents need help making decisions, new powers of attorney may need to be appointed. Be sure you have this ready a few weeks before you move. The same goes if they need to execute new living wills.

We Can Make Your Move Less Stressful

We can make your move less stressful

At Best Removalists Newcastle, we remove your belongings and we remove the stress. We have been in the industry for more than a decade, so we are quite familiar with the demands and needs of our clients. You can count on us to do the moving for you, from packing to the actual moving and unpacking, too.

Our team can help you and your loved ones get settled in your new home. Ensuring the safe and secure transport of your furniture, appliances, cars and other belongings is our top priority. We can even help you move your beloved pets safely. To learn more about the services we offer, visit us at bestremovalistsnewcastle.com.au or give us a call today on 02 4058 5810.