Preparing for Senior Living: A Senior Moving Checklist

You’ve had the conversation about senior care options with a loved one, consulted with a CarePatrol senior care advisor and found the right community. Now, it’s time to start planning the move, and having a comprehensive senior moving checklist can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth and stress-free transition for your loved one. The excitement of this next step in your loved one’s life journey is growing, until realizing that the moving process may be a bigger challenge than you anticipated. We have some helpful tips to make the planning process less stressful. 

According to the Census Bureau, nearly 6.2% of the population over age 65 moved in a given year, which means about 3 million adults. Although older adults tend to relocate less often than younger ones, they may have lived in the same place for a longer duration, meaning more items to go through and belongings to downsize when moving is a reality.  

Senior Moving Checklist

There are some key elements to keep in mind as you’re preparing for your loved one’s moving day. The first step is figuring out what to bring and then creating a plan for the day. Creating a moving day game plan should include the following information: 

• Is their new home furnished? Knowing what things will come with the apartment, like a microwave or window treatments, will help you determine what to bring and which aren’t necessary.  
• Take the measurements of the new place, including the fine details like alcoves and walls to ensure that any furniture that is making the move will be able to fit within the space comfortably.  
• Determine the size of the door as well as the elevator, if your loved one is not going to be on the ground floor level of a community. This is essential to determine if a piece of furniture that will fit in their home can actually make it inside their home. 
• Ask about the policies for residents. Will you be able to paint your loved one’s bedroom? Hang their favorite art or mount their TV on the wall? Planning with these things in mind will help streamline the process on moving day and lessen stress for everyone involved. 

CarePatrol understands the magnitude of moving to a community. That’s why we help older adults and their families to have a less stressful move-in day. It is important to us to make this transition easier. We stay in contact with our families and if care needs change over time, we’re here to pivot and ensure that needs are met and families continue to enjoy peace of mind.