How To Prepare For A Senior Move
Moving is a significant ordeal for anyone. But, for older adults and seniors, relocating can pose even greater difficulties. A major move is an incredibly stressful endeavor, especially for those relocating from the home where they've raised their children or spent many years. The more time you spend in a hom, means a greater accumulation of mementos, sentimental objects, heirlooms, and other belongings. Whether you are downsizing, moving into a smaller home, moving closer to loved ones or friends, moving into an assisted-living community, or even moving in with a family member, you might find yourself struggling to handle your relocation. These tips from our Gainesville movers for older adults and seniors can help make the process much easier.
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Get A Head Start
Safety, comfort, and ease are all critical when it comes to moving for seniors and older adults. A sure way to help facilitate these is to get an early start on your move, ideally starting with planning and organization. Life gets busy, and you may think you have all the time in the world to sort and pack up before the big move, but time flies. It's best to start planning and packing earlier than to wait too long to get organized. Depending on how much help you have from loved ones and friends or how much time you have to dedicate to downsizing and packing, we recommend beginning these processes as soon as you confirm your new living arrangements.
Review Your New Floor Plan
Before you move, it's important to carefully evaluate the floor plan layout of your new living space. You should find out how much space you will have, what the layout looks like, how much room you have for storage, how closely you will share your space with neighbors, and any modifications you will require to your new home. Your new living space may be substantially different from your current space. Many seniors and older adults need to get rid of the excess before they relocate into a rightsized home or living space. If you are planning to move from a full house to a mid-sized apartment, you might need to reduce your furniture or arrange for storage options. Knowing how much space you will have can simplify your moving process.
Take Time To Downsize
For many seniors and older adults, moving isn't as simple as throwing all of their possessions into boxes and placing them all on a moving truck. Oftentimes, seniors and older adults need to downsize before they can start packing. The process of downsizing is a gradual one, so you shouldn't expect to complete the process overnight. It will take time, likely more than you think. To reduce the stress of a big move, we recommend starting the process of cleaning out your home and purging excess, unwanted, or unused items as soon as possible. This can help you identify the items that carry significant value to you and the items you need versus items that you haven't used, will not use, should be tossed, or may better serve others.
Be Mindful Of Your Health
Moving can be a tough time for any older adult or senior citizen, especially those who are attached to their current home and all of their belongings. Some individuals may experience relocation stress syndrome, which is characterized by symptoms of anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, and loneliness throughout their relocation process. As such, you should be mindful of your mental health, get plenty of rest, and be aware of your stress levels and feelings during the process. Another important health metric during your move is your physical health. Moving is exhausting physical work, so you should be honest with yourself about what and how much you can manage. Be sure to ask for assistance from capable family members or professional movers whenever you need it.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
The process of planning a big relocation and downsizing can certainly be daunting. Seniors and older adults who could benefit from extra support throughout each step of their relocation process shouldn't be ashamed to ask for assistance. You can ask family and friends that you love and trust for help with the planning, downsizing, and moving processes, or you can hire dependable, professional movers to help handle all of the packing, transportation, unpacking, storing, and more. Here, at UF Mover Guys, our team of skilled movers can handle everything from a full pack, loading, and pack-outs for renovations to furniture assembly, unloading, short-term storage, and more, using the utmost care and top-level customer service.
