Moving from your home to an independent or assisted living facility is a big change that can require some significant lifestyle adjustments. In general, making the move to a retirement community can mean downsizing if you’re coming from a larger home.
There are many positives to enjoying your golden years in an independent living community but choosing which items from your home to take with you and which to leave behind can be difficult.
If you’re currently helping a loved one get ready for their move to assisted living, you can take a few steps to make sure the downsizing process is as smooth, efficient, and productive as possible.
How Can I Make My Loved One Comfortable in Independent Living in Bradenton, FL?
Keeping a positive and supportive attitude is crucial when you’re helping your family member make the transition to retirement community living. However, in addition to your positive outlook, it’s important to have a plan of action in place so that everything that needs to get done is completed on the right timeline.
Take a look at some of the most crucial steps to success when you’re helping your loved one downsize for assisted living.
Visit Their New Home with Them
Move-in day shouldn’t be your family member’s first time seeing and experiencing their new home inindependent living in Bradenton, FL. You should take the time to tour your loved one’s new home with them and take a good look around the grounds to help them get a feel for the place and start to feel more at home.
Plus, they’ll be able to ask the community staff any moving-related questions during their initial visit before they even start the moving process.
Make a Detailed Plan
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to moving, especially if you have to downsize and prioritize certain items over others. That’s why it’s important to make a plan before you begin any moving activities.
Decide when you’re going to pack and move certain items and make a schedule for the bigger downsizing decisions so that neither of you will feel overwhelmed on any given day.
Make a List of Non-Negotiables
If your family member has to downsize significantly in order to move into independent living, they may be feeling a bit stressed out about all of the items they’ll have to either keep or let go of. This can be particularly difficult if many of their items have some kind of emotional value to them or have been a part of their life for a long time.
As you’re helping your loved one sift through their things, start by determining which items will be taken to the new home no matter what. These should include anything with a high emotional value, along with the most efficient and reliable items for household use.
Once the non-negotiables are separated, it’ll be easier to parse through the rest and decide what’s worth keeping. Plus, if other family members or friends are willing to take on some of your loved one’s items, it may be easier for them to part ways with them as they move to an independent living community.
It’s Okay to Be Undecided
As you’re going through your family member’s items, you may find yourself becoming frustrated if they are having trouble determining whether they want or need to take a certain item with them to their new home. Remember that it’s normal to be undecided during the moving process, and they can always make a firm decision later.
