Building a Timeline for Moving a Parent into a Senior Living Community
Find out how to get ready for the big moving day for your mom or dad
For an aging parent, making the transition to move into a senior living community can be challenging, especially if that person lived in the same place for many decades. But with the proper planning, the experience can go very smoothly. Senior living communities offer beautiful living accommodations, delicious meals, great amenities, and engaging activities.
As you think about the physical logistics involved in moving an older parent to a senior living community, here are some helpful ideas about breaking the process into a timeline.
8 Weeks Before
Most seniors have accumulated many possessions over the years, and one of the most important steps in the moving process is to pare down your loved one’s belongings as much as possible by eliminating unwanted or unneeded items. Focusing on downsizing is also the perfect time to recall and share many wonderful family memories. Reminiscing about past experiences together will help your parent lessen any anxiety that they might be feeling.
6 Weeks Before
Contact family members to come pick up any items that they want to keep from your parent’s home. Because you will be on a tight time schedule, it’s important to give them a deadline, so you can continue the moving process in an orderly fashion. For items that are leftover, arrange for them to be donated to a local consignment or thrift store, as they are bound to be useful to someone else.
This is also a good time of change your parent’s mailing address, as well alert their doctor, cable company and utilizes about the move.
No matter your need, we have the right community for you. Get started finding the perfect new home for you or your loved one today!
4 Weeks Before
By this point with the move only a month away, you should know exactly where your loved one’s living space will be in the community. Get the dimensions of their new apartment so you can plan for what furniture, art work, electronics and other items to bring. Decorating ideas can be considered during this time as well.
1 Week Before
With only one week to go, be sure to gather all important documentation that your parent will need such as wills, medical records, power of attorney documents, financial records, birth certificates, military records or passports.
Also, be sure to pack an “essentials” bag with everything that they will need upon arriving at the new community. This should include several days’ worth of clothes, toiletries, medication and other important items that they will want to access right away.
Moving Day
After a great deal of planning, moving day will finally arrive. Be prepared that it might be an emotional experience for your loved one and all involved family members. Even though moving to a senior living community is a very positive and life enhancing thing to do, it might be tough for your loved one to face the fact that one chapter of their life is closing, even though a new one is about to begin.
It’s always very important to be patient, understanding and supportive to your parent, but especially at this critical time.
Welcoming Them to Their New Home!
When your loved one arrives at their new home at the senior living community, you can rest assured that they will be warmly welcomed by everyone, including staff members and fellow residents. These communities do a great job of making a new person feel at home and acquainting them with their new surroundings. Your parent will be making new friends from the very first day!
Frontier Senior Living is Here to Help
We know that moving an older loved one into a senior living community is a big change for them, but we can assure you that it will bring many wonderful opportunities to meet like-minded people, eat delicious food and participate in many engaging activities.
The knowledgeable and compassionate team at Frontier has helped many families during the moving process to a senior community, and we are happy to utilize our experience to assist your loved one as well. If you would like to learn more about the many wonderful senior living communities that we offer, contact us today. We cordially invite you to visit one of our properties, take a tour and speak with our friendly staff.
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