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.”
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