Where to Begin

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.

Celebrate Your Current Home

A home is more than a building with walls, flooring and a roof. It's filled with memories and that can make it hard to say goodbye.

Even though you know the memories you made will go with you no matter where you live, consider taking some time to celebrate everything your current home has given you before you leave. It can look different for everyone. You may want to spend a quiet evening at home thinking about the legacy you built there. Or, perhaps take a picture of your home to have as a keepsake.

No matter how you decide to celebrate your house, use that time to remember and appreciate the years you spent there. Then, let it encourage you to look forward to how many new and wonderful memories you can make in your new home, which will be full of things to do and new people to do them with.

Celebrate Your Current Home

A home is more than a building with walls, flooring and a roof. It's filled with memories and that can make it hard to say goodbye.

Be Aware of Your Emotions

When you’re about to experience a big life change, you can probably expect to feel some mixed emotions. For most, this is just a regular part of the moving process. Just keep in mind that some of those sad or negative emotions could be a result of unfounded fears.

The truth is that many seniors genuinely enjoy living in a community more than they enjoy living alone, and they are glad they made the decision to move. If you find yourself battling your nerves, make a list of all the good things that could come out of this transition: no more household chores, new friends, a full activities calendar, peace of mind about the future.

Focusing on what you’re going to gain rather than what you think you might lose is the best way to remind your emotions that you’re the one in charge.

Be Aware of Your Emotions

Focusing on what you’re going to gain rather than what you think you might lose is the best way to remind your emotions that you’re the one in charge.

Commit to Embracing the New

You might be tempted to withdraw or just spend a lot of time in your apartment after you arrive. It’s alright to feel a little overwhelmed, and it’s even okay to take it easy for the first couple of days. But what you don’t want to happen is let fear take control and prevent you from getting connected.

One of the best ways to avoid feeling isolated after moving is to commit to embracing this new season of life with enthusiasm. Give yourself a challenge each day to push toward making friends, participating in activities and getting out and about with the rest of the community. Before you know it, you might just find that you really love your new home.

Commit to Embracing the New

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.