We all know that moving is a stressful life experience for anyone, but it’s especially hard to help your parents move out of a home they have lived in for most of their lifetime. Whether they’re downsizing, moving into another home or apartment, or into a senior or assisted-living type of situation, there are many emotional landmines, as well as physical challenges, that demand attention.
Here are some things you can do to help ease the transition:
- Make sure your parents feel included in the major decisions that need to be made. Involve them in discussions about the when, where, whys, and hows of the move.
- Encourage them to share their emotions. Make time for you and your siblings to sit down and discuss memories that were made over the years you all lived in your home together.
- Offer to help manage the process of selling and cleaning out the house for them. This is where you may be most helpful, because the older your parents are, the more difficult this can be.
- Come up with a system for selecting and sorting items–perhaps using color-coded stickers. For instance you might use green stickers for the items your folks definitely want to take to their next home, yellow stickers for the ones they’re unsure about, blue stickers for the giveaways, and black stickers for the junk that can be collected and hauled off.
- Make arrangements with all the necessary professionals, such as the realtor, moving company, and utility companies to help ease their burden.
- Last, but not least, don’t forget to give Junk-A-Haulics a call to clear out all the clutter and junk left behind. We can even help deliver the items they wish to donate!
