Please welcome guest blogger, Michael Longsdon, ElderFreedom.net. He shares tips for assisting seniors moving or transitioning into assisted living those in the early stages of dementia.
Photo by Teona Swift from Pexels
When you’re helping seniors with dementia transition to a new home, it can be useful to assess what resources are available and what help you can get along the line. Whether your elderly charge is moving to an assisted living situation or downsizing into an apartment or condo, there are services available to help make that transition easier.
Let’s take a look at some ways you can help seniors with dementia move into a new living space easily, quickly, and efficiently, while making the process as painless as possible:
Benefits of moving services
Right off the bat, let’s talk about why you should consider hiring moving services when it comes time to help your senior loved one move house. Box trucks aside, you will also need to hire folks to move furniture around and place things inside the new home.
Tip: You may also get a discount if your loved one is a member of AARP or AAA. Make sure to search for discounts and free services — it never hurts to ask!
Start by downsizing
Moving your senior loved one with dementia into a new space often means they are moving into a smaller home. In this case, downsizing is necessary. It can be a stressful thing for your loved one, so helping them through this transitory period is a must. Here are a few things to remember:
- Think about where they’ll be living. How much space is there? What will you need to cull?
- Is moving the bigger furniture or appliances worth it? Do you need appliances in the new space or is it an assisted living situation where the washer and dryer are shared?
- Is there anything you can give to loved ones to care for? For instance, sentimental items or special collections that have been acquired over the years?
- Do this in stages — don’t try to downsize all at once. You may even want to start months before the move so that you give your loved one time to process the downsizing and yourself time to breathe.
Hiring someone to help with this step can be useful, as well. Downsizing specialists can help you and your loved one determine what should and shouldn’t be included in the move from an objective lens.
Choose the right moving service
There are a lot of different kinds of moving services available for when you’re ready to make the big transition. You should look for some that cater to seniors. Some services also assist with packing and unpacking, which can be a huge part of the stress. Neglecting this step is a huge no-no!
Transitioning to a simpler abode: Not just for your senior loved one
As you’re helping your elderly charges move out and downsize into a smaller space, you may be wondering how to help them transition from the home they’ve known for a good portion of their life — if not their whole life! — to something easier to manage.
You will need help making the transition easier for them, so I recommend joining a support group in order to get that emotional assistance you need when caring for someone with dementia. Not only are these groups a great place to vent frustrations and receive support, but it’s also a great way to connect with people who have different experiences and can point you in the right direction in terms of the care you’re giving.
What to do with the home
Selling a home doesn’t have to be difficult, and there are plenty of resources available to folks who need or want assistance. For instance, hiring a realtor can give you a great advantage when it comes to selling because they will know what the market looks like in the area and can help you make key decisions about how to improve, stage, and list your home on local real estate applications and websites.
One of the first things you’ll need to do is find a home-value estimate online to determine what you can sell the house for if that is the route you choose to go. These kinds of services will help you determine the house’s value based on the age, condition, and location — as the local market is always changing, it can be a good idea to keep your eye on these kinds of estimates even before your senior charge moves out.
Next step of their journey
When it’s time to move your senior loved one with dementia to a new home, it can be a stressful experience for you and a scary experience for them. But utilizing the resources available to you is a good way to alleviate some of that worry.
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Michael Longsdon is the founder of ElderFreedom, which advocates for the rights and support of seniors. Through his site (http://elderfreedom.net/), he provides tips to seniors on how to downsize and age in place.