I’m a senior and have been told by my adult children, I should move. I don’t want to, so why should I? 

 

This can be a very difficult and emotional decision for you to make. However, there are several reasons why you may want to consider moving…

 

• Are you living in less than 50% of your home right now? Your home may be too big for you to maintain & manage. If there is more than one level, you may have trouble getting up and down the stairs.

• Are you tired of meal preparation? Finding yourself eating more frozen dinners? You may want to consider living in a home where your meals are prepared for you. Most retirement communities provide nutritious and well balanced meals in a pleasant atmosphere.

• Is the house cleaning and home maintenance starting to fail? Most retirement communities offer housekeeping and you won’t have to worry about upgrading windows, doors, flooring, etc. anymore.

• Are you the caregiver to your spouse and it is becoming overwhelming? Moving to the right place would reduce those caregiving responsibilities and help with your quality of life.

• Are you home alone? It is important to have people around you in case of an emergency. Your adult children worry about you. If you can’t live with family, you may want to think about moving to where you can make new friends, have people close by, meet people who share the same interests as you.

You may want to consider hiring a Senior Move Manager to help you with your planning and assist in your decision making.

 

What is a Senior Move Manager?

 

Senior Move Management is a profession that assists seniors and their families with the emotional and physicals aspects of downsizing and relocation. Although specific services vary, Senior Move Managers can help with some or all of the following:
• Make a plan with timelines for the move.
• Organize, sort and downsize your home.
• Prepare a floor plan for the new home.
• Arrange for the disposal of unwanted items through donations, trash removal, recycling.
• Schedule and oversee movers.
• Arranging shipments to family members or storage.
• Professional packing.
• Unpack and set up your new home.
• Other Services, such as, cleaning, assistance in selecting a realtor and helping to prepare the home for sale by staging.

 

Why hire a Senior Move Manager Professional?

 

Some seniors don’t have children or their children live too far away, have fulltime jobs or are too weighed down with their own obligations. If they are a part of the “sandwich generation” (Sandwich Generation - The generation of middle-aged individuals who are pressured to support both aging parents and growing children), they may be too tapped out by the obligations of their own kids and spouse to provide the hands-on help needed for these transitions.

 

Families think they can do this in a weekend. However, they find out very quickly that’s not going to be the case. Helping their Parents or Grandparents through the complicated process of choosing which possessions to keep, disposing of which ones they’re willing to part with, where & how to dispose of them and helping with the actual moving and settling-in process, this can be very emotional and taxing on any family.

That’s where Senior Move Managers come in. Part sympathetic listener, part pragmatic packer, SMMs assist older adults in all aspects of downsizing and relocation. SMMs step in to handle those tasks. Before hiring a SMMs, seniors or their families should check that the Manager has business liability insurance and previous experience.

 

How is a Senior Move Manager different than a regular mover?

 

In short, a Senior Move Manager provides a multitude of services to help you with the move process. They are trained to handle the entire project—from Planning, Organizing, Packing, Removing, Supervising and the Completion of the entire project.

In addition to the physical details of the move, a Senior Move Manager is trained to consider the client’s emotions relating to the move, as well as their physical and/or cognitive impairments. When family members live out of town, the Senior Move Manager can provide peace of mind, acting as the contact person for the family.

 

How much do Senior Move Management services cost?

 

• It's impossible to calculate what a move might cost. The fees vary considerably by the size of the job and services needed.

• Some Senior Move Managers, charge their fees on an hourly basis, while others prefer to package the cost of the entire job at one price.

• The cost of a job should be a written estimate before you are required to submit payment.

• Most will pay 50% on day 1 of the estimated fee and the remaining on the last day.

• Both the Senior Move Manager and the Client have a full understanding of fees added to the project as the client changes what their needs are throughout the project.

 

Who uses a Senior Move Manager?

 

• Seniors

• Adult Children

• Family Members of Seniors

• Executors

• Senior Housing Communities

• Realtors

• Health Care Facilities

• Senior Care Managers

• Social Services Agencies

• Attorneys

• Financial Planners

 

What if my family wants to help?

 

This is a working partnership. You and your family can do as much or as little of the project as you wish. During the initial consultation, you can indicate to the Senior Move Manager which services you require and the written estimate will be based on the services you need. All services are available “a la carte.” We will be in close contact with you throughout the project and if you feel that you would like us to take on more and you to do less, that is certainly ok and can be reworked into the quote.

 

When do I need to start preparing for my move?

 

As soon as possible. Some clients start planning well before they are ready to move. The move itself is the last step. We can work with you to prepare timelines for your move.

Depending on your needs…

• We may help years before you move. Help to purge items to free up space in the garage, basements, attics, or spare rooms, cupboards, closets and drawers. Remove the clutter for an easier life style. Then you can call on us when you have made the decision to move.

• In some cases, we work with the client for a few months prior to the move to sort through the accumulation of belongings, and help prepare your home for sale.

• If the move is relatively simple for example; purging may have already taken place, or you’re moving from a small rented home to another it may be done in a shorter time frame.

• When time does not allow due to illness, we can prepare and execute in a very short time frame.

It all depends on your situation.

 

As a senior, what should I take to my new home?

 

This is where the Senior Move Manager will help you. By making a floor plan of your new home, it will be important to bring only what you need and can fit without over stuffing.  Your new home will be much smaller than your old one. There probably won’t be room for that big dining room set or oversized couch.

Depending on where you are moving, you may not need anything from the kitchen since you may be eating in the retirement community dining room. If you have your own kitchen, then you probably won’t be doing the entertaining with the big dinners anymore, so you won’t need all those pots & pans, multiple dishes, or serving platters.

 

I’m not ready to move, but I would like to start clearing out my things to prepare to downsize. Can you help with that?

 

Yes, We may help years before you move. Help to purge items to free up space in the garage, basements, attics, or spare rooms, cupboards, closets and drawers. Remove the clutter for an easier lifestyle. Then you can call on us when you are ready to move.

 

What should a senior put in storage?

 

Nothing! Why pay for storage for things you will never use again. It’s an expense you do not need to acquire. Allies in Downsizing will help you donate, recycle, gift, and remove all those items that will not fit in your new home.

 

What should I do with my pet during our move?

 

We recommend that you find a safe and quiet place for them away from your home during your move. If they must remain at home, they will be safest in their crates or in the yard away from the movers and noise.

We understand animals are very sensitive. They pick up on the stress you will be feeling during your move. Unfamiliar people including movers may cause them to become agitated or even aggressive. They can also be a tripping hazard if they are loose in the house.

 

 

 

For more answer to your questions,

please call Debby at Allies in Downsizing at 905-517-4780 or 

email Debby at info@alliesindownsizing.com