3 Keys to a Successful Senior Move

At A Bridge Forward, we help clients during a highly stressful time in their lives. As a full-service senior move management company, we help our clients downsize, pack, move and unpack, typically to a smaller apartment or senior community. In many cases, the move accompanies a change in health adding to the anxiety. With each move, our goal is to lessen the worry and ensure a smooth transition.

Each client has unique emotions about his or her move. Some approach the change with a positive outlook on the next chapter. Many are worried about giving up their family home, personal possessions and moving into a smaller space. Whatever the circumstances, every senior needs these three support tools:

1. Patience: Sorting and making decisions about a lifetime of belongings requires time and patience. When we work with clients, we go through the house one room at a time, one cupboard or drawer at a time, and help guide their decisions about what to take. Many are worried about giving up something they may need after the move so we use our experience to support them in the process. Most importantly, we adjust our pace based on the client’s energy and space out the process as we can.

2. Support: No matter how independent, every client needs emotional and physical support throughout the process. That might include reinforcing that they are making the right decision about their move or that they are taking the right belongings. The physical aspects of a move are challenging as well and those moving need helping packing, taking items to donation, packing for move day and clearing out everything else that remains

3 Compassion: Moving is an intensely emotional experience and leaving a home of many years can be frightening. With almost every client, we see the anxiety build as move day approaches. Compassion and understanding go a long way in helping clients get through this change. The Bridge Forward team understands that these emotions are a part of the process, and we pay extra attention to our clients when they are feeling stress. For most, a giant weight comes off their shoulders once they are in their new home with their belongings unpacked and organized.

Call or email A Bridge Forward if you are interested in learning more about how a Senior Move Manager can help. A Bridge Forward is bonded, insured and a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM.org).

414-731-1608

Lisa@bridgeforwardmoving.com.

When The Job Was Too Big, This Couple Sought Help.

Lauren and Gerry were in their 80s and facing illnesses that made it harder for them to stay in their home of 40 years. With stalwart determination, they found a senior community apartment that would meet their needs and signed a lease.

When Lauren called A Bridge Forward in late December, she explained why they needed help. Their house was filled with things they love, but she knew there would not be storage space in the apartment for many of them, including her sewing and craft supplies and Gerry’s hunting and fishing gear. She knew they had too much - but did not know how to begin.

The Bridge Forward team got to work during the first week of January with a written plan and timeline. Lauren and Gerry wanted to move into their apartment by the end of January, so we immediately began working one-on-one with her to go through each room of the house and help her decide which belongings would move and which would be donated. Lauren was decisive, which helped the downsizing process go smoothly.

In late January, the team packed, and on January 26, in spite of a temperature of -7 degrees, Lauren and Gerry moved. The movers arrived at 8 a.m., and Lauren and Gerry headed to their new community for breakfast. By 5 p.m., the couple’s apartment was unpacked and set up so they could spend the first night comfortably in their new home.

With the hardest part of the transition now behind them, they are relaxing a little. Lauren no longer has responsibility for cooking dinner every night, and the couple has met new friends. Although there were times during the process when Lauren was apprehensive about the move, she said many times, “I never could have done this without you.”

UNPACKING: Thoughts about an afterthought

As a move management company, we work with hundreds of clients as they downsize, pack and move. Here’s a common observation: Our clients are often so intensely focused on packing and the move itself that unpacking often is relegated to the back seat. “I’ll worry about that when the time comes” is a common theme.

But once that stack of boxes lands in your new home, the large task of unpacking looms.

As professional packers – and unpackers – there are steps you can take both before and after the move to make unpacking easier and more stress-free:

1. Purge before you move: One of the biggest challenges is when there are too many belongings for the new space. Take time up front to evaluate the storage space in your new home and purge items that won’t fit. A few places to start: clothing and shoes that don’t fit or are no longer in style; kitchen gadgets, serving ware and dishes that are no longer used; and sentimental items that are no longer sentimental.

2. Label boxes clearly: Use thick permanent markers to label boxes with the contents and the room the box should go in in your new home. Instruct your movers to put the boxes in the correct room. The better the boxes are marked, the less time you will waste looking for things while unpacking.

3. Pack 1 or 2 “essentials” boxes. An essentials box is filled with all of the things you will need for the first few nights in your new home. It is the first box you open and should include items for food prep, personal care, making the beds and home set-up (i.e. paper towels, all-purpose cleaner, garbage bags, etc.) For a complete essentials box list, please email: lisa@bridgeforwardmoving.com

4. Have an unpacking plan. Once your essentials are unpacked, it’s best to unpack room-by-room. Having one room complete before you start another helps minimize that overwhelming feeling. The order we recommend is: kitchen, main bathroom, bedrooms, closets, entertainment, extra spaces, artwork and décor.

5. Manage the boxes and paper as you go. When you empty a box, break it down and stack it in an out-of-the way location such as the garage or a spare room. Packing paper can be flattened, rolled up and stored in large garbage bags, making it easier to store until you are able to recycle it.

Unpacking can be a physical and mental challenge so be sure to take plenty of breaks and get help from family, friends or a professional if you need it.

To learn more about A Bridge Forward’s packing and unpacking services check us out at: Bridgeforwardmoving.com.