What moving services are available to seniors?
Moving residences is a stressful time for anyone, but especially for the elderly who may be leaving the familiarity of their own home to reside in a senior living community. Fortunately, there are professionals who are experts in making the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible for seniors.
In addition to standard moving companies, who can pack and move all of one’s belongings, there are senior move managers (SMM) who specialize in helping seniors and their family members with the dauntingly emotional and physical task of downsizing and relocating to a new residence.
What does a senior move manager do?
According to the National Association of Senior Move Managers website, a senior move manager provides a wide variety of moving support, from emotional counseling and helping seniors plan to hiring the actual movers and helping pack.
Downsizing
- Organizing
- Sorting
- Tagging
- Personal property appraisals
- Dispersals and donations
Move management
- Custom floor plans
- Packing
- Develop transition timeline
- Mover referrals
- Mover oversight
- Pet arrangements
Resettling/decorating
- Unpack boxes
- Set up bathroom and kitchen
- Make beds and set clocks
- Connect computer and phones
- Hang pictures
- Personal shopping for last minute items
- Memory preservation
- Remove packing materials
Home clean outs/refresh
- Clutter removal
- Refer and oversee home repairs
- Ship items to family
- Clear out contents of home
- Refresh home for expedient re-sale
Senior resources/referrals
- SRES Realtor referrals
- Referrals to a myriad of senior professionals
- Senior housing recommendations
- Community referrals
- Ongoing support to aid the transition
Some senior move managers provide these services directly; others function in an oversight or management role.
Senior move managers understand the safety, ethical, and communication issues involved with working with older adults. And whether a senior is choosing to move or remain in their current home, a manager can help with downsizing to make room and remove clutter, which entails the emotional and physical aspects of sorting through a lifetime of memories to determine which should be kept and which should be disposed.