No matter what age group you’re in, moving to a new place is always stressful—doubly so if you are a senior citizen and about to move from your longtime family home to an assisted living facility or one of your children’s homes.

Seniors, in particular, find it hard to part with most of their possessions. What their children might dismiss as “stuff” is actually a trove of memories. In making the transition to a downsized living space, moving companies that offer senior management services can ensure a stress-free and efficient move for your elderly parents.

It Starts with a Plan

There are several reasons why the elderly would choose to downsize and relocate. For some, it’s more practical to live in a one-bedroom facility since they don’t have to deal with a flight of stairs in their daily routine nor will the cleaning be as physically tiring. Some might find that moving to an assisted living facility is a medically sound decision, particularly if there are no close relatives or children that can act as a caregiver. While for others, it is more financially feasible to move to a smaller space.

After deciding that relocation is the only solution to receiving proper care as a senior citizen, you’ll need a concrete, hassle-free plan. Since relocation more likely entails a move from a bigger family home to a much more modest room in a gated facility, you will need to learn how to “downsize” your things.

Letting Go of Possessions

Remember, your new space is likely not as spacious as your previous one, so you must relent to letting go of some of your things, such as your furniture. You don’t have to get rid of furniture if it has sentimental value, but you must be practical about how you should maximize the space given to you.

You can ask your children, close relatives, and friends to help with the de-cluttering process. Not only can they help you try and decide which furniture to bring with you to your new place, you can also voluntarily give them pieces that hold some sentimental valuable. You then know it will be in the hands of someone who equally cherishes it.

It also helps if you put color tags on the furniture that you want to take on your move. Make sure that there is enough room in your new place to accommodate all those pieces. This allows you to be more comfortable with your new living space. Measuring the new space and devising a floor plan are both smart moves to determine the correct furniture arrangement.

Learning to downsize also helps your hired movers organize, pack, move, and unpack your things more efficiently—amounting to less time, less labor, and less stress.

Sources:

Your Guide to Stress-Free Rightsizing and Relocation, nasmm.org

Downsizing a Home: A Checklist for Caregivers, NationalCenterOnCaregiving.com