Helping Someone Move Home in Later Life

No matter what our age, moving house is never easy, mentally or physically.

But relocating in later life, especially if the home being moved out of holds a lifetime’s memories and emotions, can be extremely daunting.

If you are helping an older person to move out of their family home you will find this week’s blog post invaluable.

Reasons to Move Home in Later Life

People move home for a variety of reasons but as we get older sometimes that decision is forced upon us by circumstances out of our control and may include:

• To have a better quality of life
• To be nearer family
• To live in a more manageable home
• For financial considerations
• To help relieve loneliness and isolation
• To have better access to care and support

You may also like to read: How to Downsize Your Home. Downsizing the home is a common reaction to getting older so in this guide, we look at the pros and cons of downsizing and offer some tips to make the transition so much easier.

Things to Consider When Moving the Elderly

My mum always said she would never move into a care home if it ever came to that.

She was alone but had lived in the same home all her life and wanted to end her days there.

Sadly, following a stroke, she had no choice but to leave that home.

Despite knowing her wishes, a care home was the only answer and it was the best decision ever to move her there.

She spent her final years surrounded by people her own age, being well looked after, and having plenty going on to entertain and stimulate her.

The point is that sometimes a decision has to be made, or is forced upon us, that at the time is traumatic but is for the best in the long term.

If you have to assist with moving an elderly person to a new home, it will certainly take a lot of care, patience, and understanding from you.

As we get older we don’t have the energy levels that we once had.

Moving home is exhausting with so much to organise and do, and that’s before we move a single item, so it is best to take the home-moving process at a slower pace.

There is also the person’s health to take into consideration.

An ailment that may be inconvenient but tolerable when having to deal with day-to-day tasks, may not be so manageable when faced with the stress and physical needs of moving home.

Do not underestimate the effect that rekindling old memories may have, nor the realisation that the person is moving from possibly the only home they have ever known.

And of course, the elderly person may be faced with little choice but to move for a variety of reasons, so you will need to be calm, positive, and understanding.

You may also like to read: How to Deal With Emotional Overload. Moving home is a melting pot of emotions and when moving elderly people you are dealing with not only your emotions but theirs. In this guide, we share some tips to help you cope with the various emotions you will experience during the home move.

How to Organise a Home Move for the Elderly

#1 Make use of a home moving timeline and calendar

This will help you to explain everything that needs to be done to the elderly person and will ensure that nothing is forgotten.

Allow as much time as possible for the home move as this will make it less daunting and exhausting for all concerned.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Home Moving Checklist and Calendar. Here we have created a home moving checklist in chronological order so that you are organised and do not forget any important home moving tasks.

#2 Use a change of address checklist

This will help you to keep track of all the people to notify about the home move.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Change of Address Checklist. Here we have created a comprehensive change of address checklist that you can customise to your own needs.

#3 Create a floor plan of the new home

This will help in the decluttering and downsizing process.

Make the plan as accurate as possible, and work with the elderly person on the best layout for their new home.

Remember though, that it is their home move, and you are there to offer help and support.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Floor Plan. In this guide, we show you how to measure rooms and furniture to create a simple floor plan for the new home.

#4 Get to know the new home

Before the actual home move, you may want to consider some social visits to the person’s new home.

If it is a care home, for example, do they have a bingo night that you could attend so that the person moving there gets used to their new neighbours and environment?

If they are moving home to be nearer you or your family, arrange some visits to the new area. A coffee and cake in a local café, a sit in the local park, or stroll by the river.

Do things that will reinforce the positive aspects of the home move and help the person moving become familiar with their new surroundings.

You may also like to read: All You Need to Know About Moving Into a New Build Home. Many people in older age choose to move to a new build home as they are more economical and easier to manage. In this guide, we explain all you need to know about new build homes.

Decluttering an Elderly Person’s Home

In any home move, decluttering is the most vital, and often the emotionally hardest thing to do.

But the aim here is to reduce the home moving costs and, having drawn up a floor plan, you now know they may have no choice but to dispose of some items of furniture.

Be sensitive to how the elderly person will respond to the news that a prized piece of furniture will not fit in their new home.

Often, if the person knows it is being donated to a worthy cause, or the money raised from the sale of the furniture will help with care costs, for example, it is easier for them to accept.

You may also like to read: Where to Donate Things When Moving Home. This guide lists useful contacts of where to get rid of the items most commonly decluttered during a home move.

Let the elderly person decide if they wish to gift certain items to family members so that they know the cherished item will stay in the family and be looked after.

For an elderly person, letting go of things may be traumatic, familiarity is what makes a house a home, and gives us a sense of mental comfort and security.

Make a photographic record of any special items that it is just not possible to take. That way they can look through the pictures at a later date and it will help lessen the relocation depression that may set in.

Retain a few key items that will make the new place seem like home. A dresser set, a couple of framed photos, a vase, or an ornament, for example.

Do not consider storage units, or putting things in boxes and keeping them in the loft or garage at your home.

This could prove costly financially, and will only delay the inevitable time when the items will need to be disposed of anyway.

It will be worth having a supply of cleaning materials with you when decluttering as elderly people are not always physically able to keep their home spotlessly clean.

You may also like to read: When Why, and How to Declutter Your Parents Home. Decluttering a lifetime’s possessions is an emotive issue so we have created an entire post dedicated to making the process as painless as possible.

Packing and Moving an Elderly Person Possessions to a New Home

#1 Do You Need a Removal Company or Move the Items Yourself?

Having decluttered as much as possible, you now need to decide if there are enough items to be moved to justify hiring a reputable removal company or whether you should move the items yourself.

Also, consider whether you need a house clearing service as many removal companies will offer this service.

You may also like to read: Moving Home Yourself vs Hiring a Removal Company. In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of hiring a removal company vs trying to move everything yourself.

#2 Consider Hiring Packers

Packing is often one of the most time-consuming parts of moving home, and certainly moving heavy and large pieces of furniture is no easy task.

It is often better, and less stressful for the person moving, to let professional packers take care of packing the things to be moved.

They will pack everything usually on the same day, which means that the elderly person is not living amongst packing materials and boxes for weeks on end which would be a safety issue.

If there is antique furniture that needs to be moved, it is not worth the risk of trying to move them yourself.

In such circumstances, it is worth hiring the services of a professional removal company.

You may also like to read: Is Hiring Packers Worth the Cost? In this guide, we see how much professional packers cost, what they do, and whether it is worth spending the money hiring them.

#3 Pack a Moving Day Essentials Box

It is a good idea to pack a moving day essentials box.

This is a box or bag that contains anything that you will need easy access to on moving day and should be kept with you and not loaded onto the removal lorry.

This is especially important if the elderly person has to take medication at specific times of the day.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Moving Day Essentials Box. In this guide, we list items that you may want to include in your moving day essentials box.

Things to Consider on Moving Day

You will need to be there to help support and comfort the elderly person on what may be a very traumatic day.

Hiring a reputable removal company will alleviate the stress of moving and transporting the goods, leaving you to care for the elderly person.

Try to make the day as relaxed as possible, focusing on all the positive aspects of the home move.

If you can, arrange for someone to take them for a spot of lunch so that by the time they arrive at their new home, all the noise and upheaval of the removal team delivering the goods has finished.

If the person who is moving has a pet, it is best to arrange to have the pet put into kennels or looked after away from the stress of the home move on moving day.

Have familiar photos or ornaments out on prominent display for when the person arrives in the new home so that it feels like home to them.

Also, consider how you will transport the elderly person to their new home.

If they are less able-bodied, will they be able to maneuver themselves into your low or high car, or do you need to hire a suitable taxi or car?

You may also like to read: How to Leave a Home You Love. In this guide, we share ways that you can help your parents emotionally detach themselves from their old home, and included are some tips on making their new place feel like it is their home.

Useful Contacts for the Elderly Moving Home

Housing advice for older citizens in Northern Ireland is available from the Housing Executive.

In England contact your local council for advice on available help and grants.

If you live in Scotland, housing advice can be sought from the Scottish Welfare Fund.

There are also many charities that may be able to help with house adaptation and other support for the elderly. Turn2Us has a database of available help and advice.

Ageuk has a website full of information that you may find useful.

Citizens Advice also offers a wealth of information.

Moving Home with Seniors Will Affect You Too

Finally, it is not just the older person moving home who may be affected by the emotional attachment to the old home or its contents.

Be aware of the emotional impact it will have on you too.

Ensure you get plenty of rest and relaxation time, this is likely to be an emotionally draining time for you.

If the person moving is coming to live in your home, or nearer to you, how it will affect your family and lifestyle is not to be underestimated.

There are support networks for such circumstances, and Age Concern has plenty of useful advice for you.

You may also like to read: All You Need to Know About Multi-Generational Living. In this guide, we share some invaluable tips about how to make multi-generational homes work, the pros and cons, and things to consider.

Finally, it cannot be underestimated how much easier it will make moving day by hiring a good removal team.

Your top priority during the whole relocation process is supporting your parents emotionally, and you cannot do that if you are stressed and exhausted by all the home moving tasks that need completing.

Their, and your, well-being is the number one priority at all times.

You may also like to read: How to Pick Good Removal Company. Picking the right removal company is so important that we have written a step-by-step guide on how to choose the best removal company for your particular home move.

Good luck with the move and be sure to visit our home moving blog which is packed with tips to make any home move easier, cheaper, and quicker.