- Finding the Right Option
- What Level of Care Do I Need?
- When is it the Right Time for Senior Living?
- How Do I Find the Right Senior Living Community?
- Financial Planning
- Average Cost of Senior Living
- Helpful Financial Resources
- Understanding Medicare Coverage
- Veterans Benefits
How to Get Your Move Started
You’ve done your research, toured several communities and decided where you want to enjoy the next season of life. If that’s you, give yourself a pat on the back! Now it’s time to get ready to move.
There’s more to moving into a new home than simply packing up your things and taking them from one place to another. Moving is usually an emotional process. If you recognize ahead of time that the transition will probably bring up some combination of hopeful and sad emotions, you can be better prepared to embrace this new chapter of life.


What you can do to start the moving process.
1. Visit the new apartment a few times before moving day so you can get a better understanding of how much space you really have. Make sure to take a tape measure so you can determine whether that beloved armchair is really going to fit in your new space.
2. Go through one room at a time when it’s time to start downsizing. Start with the least sentimental spaces and work your way to the more sentimental pieces. Once you start making decisions about things like that extra knife set and dusty old bicycle, you’re more prepared to tackle things like clothing and picture frames.
3. Sort items into boxes labeled “keep,” “donate,” “sell,” and “throw away.” Make sure the boxes are taped, labeled and ready to go before you start sorting through the house so you don’t lose your momentum along the way. You might even want to consider having a box dedicated to giving sentimental items to loved ones.
4. Take photos of the things you love but aren’t going to keep so you can reminisce without carrying the items to your new home. This is a great option for things like children’s artwork, musical instruments, sentimental pieces of furniture and formal dishware.
5. Keep in mind that the memories are more important than the items. That doesn’t mean this process will be easy, and it’s okay if takes some time to part with beloved items. But you can still carry those memories without the physical items.

If You Need to Sell Your House
If you’re planning to move into a senior living community and want to sell your current home, Paragon Home Resources is an excellent resource. This national company can provide support with everything from managing and selling a property to coordinating the sorting and distribution of your belongings. You may even have an opportunity to earn a cash back reward.
To learn more about what they offer and how they can help you on your senior living journey, visit www.paragonhomeresources.com.

For Caregivers: How to Manage Guilt
When you’re helping a parent move into a senior living community, you may find yourself wondering if you’re doing the right thing by encouraging them to leave their home. Will your parents be happy? Is this the only decision that makes sense? Is the timing right?
If you’re dealing with questions like these, here are some things to think through that may help you find peace in the decision:
1. Know you aren’t alone.
Wrestling with some feelings of guilt and doubt is a normal part of the process, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Reach out to trusted friends and family members and ask if they can be available to listen and give advice when you’re having a difficult time.
2. Trust that you’re doing the best you can with the knowledge you have.
If you’re like most adult children, you are only going to deal with this process once or twice in your life. There is no dress rehearsal, and it isn’t always going to be perfect. Find comfort in knowing that you can only do the best you can with the information you have—and that’s okay.
3. Stay positive.
Whether you realize it or not, your attitude plays an important role in your loved one’s life. Staying positive and hopeful about the transition to senior living is a great way to encourage them to stay positive and hopeful too.
4. Be an advocate for your parent.
Moving day doesn’t mean you need to stop being involved. Don’t be afraid to be an advocate for your parents, even in their new home. You know them best and should feel comfortable talking to the staff about any specific concerns or requests you feel would help them better transition or adjust to community life.
5. Embrace your support system.
It’s okay to feel sad and acknowledge a sense of loss in this process, but don’t let those emotions consume you. It’s also wise to turn to your support system in these moments rather than burdening your parents.
What should you look for when touring senior living communities?
Knowing what to expect on moving day can help make the transition to senior living easier.
Now that you’ve moved to a senior living community, what happens next?