There may come a time when you need to relocate your residents. Whether they’re temporarily moving to another room on the same floor or a totally different community, this a stressful and confusing prospect for seniors, and it may also be a large-scale project with lots of (pardon the pun) moving parts for your community managers and staff.

From taking advantage of state and federal grants and financing to making essential repairs and upgrades to your community, there are many circumstances in which Senior Community managers choose to work with Moves for Seniors to manage these temporary relocations. Some of the most popular reasons to utilize the support of our project managers and senior move facilitation services are:

• Complete property renovations 
• Property and/or unit upgrades (new floors, paint, etc.)
• Community closings with relocations to new locations
• Emergency situations (e.g. burst pipes, fires) 
• New community openings 

No matter the reason for the temporary move, relocation is disruptive to seniors. Often, they simply don’t like change, and they might also find a new environment confusing. They worry about having access to their belongings, and the safety of their heirlooms. MFS senior moving specialists have the experience and expertise to navigate these issues sensitively and efficiently.  

Let’s take a closer look at the comprehensive services Moves for Seniors offers for large-scale renovation projects that require temporary relocation of residents, including:

• Who’s on the Moves for Seniors project team
• How Moves for Seniors simplifies temporary relocation
• Keys to successful resident logistics during a property renovation

Who’s on the Moves for Seniors team?

Moves for Seniors’ team will help your community managers and staff focus on the matter at hand—opening, closing, or upgrading your community, and maintaining the well-being of residents. Roles typically include:

• A project manager: The dedicated point of contact for your senior housing community staff and residents. This person will work with you from the very beginning to understand the scope of the project, timelines, level of impact, objectives, and more. They will put together the rest of the team accordingly and oversee the process throughout.
• Operations manager: This person is typically in charge of assigning movers, laborers, and senior move facilitators (organizers). They will set the schedule based on your overall project timeline.
• On-the-ground senior move facilitators: Typically professional organizers, this group will sort and pack belongings, photograph and document the original unit set up, understand the needs of individual residents and establish trust, note any special circumstances, and set up both the temporary unit and refinished unit to match the original as best as possible.
• Movers and laborers: This team handles the heavy lifting. They move items from one unit to another or to storage. They also prepare the furniture to keep it safe during transport.

4 Ways MFS Simplifies Temporary Relocation

From start to finish the Moves for Seniors project team is ready to help you plan and manage the temporary residential relocation process. Here are 4 ways Moves for Seniors will help:

• Temporary residence space planning 
• Local moving and labor team coordination on moving days
• Settling seniors’ belongings into temporary units
• Moving belongings back to an updated or new permanent unit

1. Temporary residence space planning

MFS facilitators will take inventory of each senior’s belongings and assess how they’re set up in the current space. Then they’ll determine which items will fit where in the resident’s temporary location, with the goal of recreating their former space as closely as possible. 

The organizer will acquire a floor plan of the temporary living space and will even create diagrams to show the movers where to place the furniture so the space is familiar and comfortable right away. They will also take pictures to document how personal items should be arranged. 

2. Local moving and labor team coordination on moving day

Community managers have a lot going on during a new opening or renovation, not the least of which is to provide mental and physical support to seniors being temporarily relocated. While you focus on providing support and keeping your community running smoothly, let our facilitators coordinate everything between the movers, residents, and your staff on moving day. Many projects take place over time, so having our on-site expert(s) keep things consistent will be very useful. 

3. Settling seniors into temporary units

The move facilitators will provide unpacking and set up services. They will arrive on the day of or the day after move-in and set up the temporary residence, including removing items from boxes and placing them in cupboards and drawers, making beds, hanging shower curtains, and discarding the boxes and packing supplies. 

4. Moving belongings back to newly finished units

Once the project is complete, we will reverse the process. All items will be moved back from the temporary unit or storage and set up as they were originally. The senior will be able to get back to their newly updated home with minimal disruption to their surroundings in terms of personal item placement.

3 keys to a successful temporary relocation 

Moves for Seniors offers consistent and efficient organizational support, reduces risk and liability costs for your community managers and staff, and eases the stress of transitioning residents. We believe there are three keys to a successful temporary relocation:

1. Safety: We make sure to clear away any clutter, tidy up loose wires and generally ensure there are no tripping or other hazardous items. 
2. Logistical organization: We make all the necessary plans to make sure there’s a place for all belongings. We’ll work with you to define the parameters of what each resident can bring with them and which needs to be placed in storage, and we will arrange for the storage and transport to and from all locations.
3. Stress relief: Facilitators are standing by to answer questions from staff and residents and offer a calming sense of confidence and encouragement on moving day. 

An Example: Cherry Hill Senior Living

“In 2020 we were challenged with relocating residents to other communities. I was immediately impressed during my initial meeting. From a logistical perspective, the support from Moves for Seniors (MFS) was efficient and seamless. 

The entire team provided a personal connection with residents and families that eased their minds and gave them confidence in MFS’ ability to transition them to a new location. 

All furniture, personal items, and keepsakes were packed with care and delivered to the new residences undamaged. Moves for Seniors took photos before packing so that they could set up each resident’s apartment in the new location according to their preference. 

This was my first experience with MFS. They were professional and provided excellent customer service with a personal touch. I will continue to recommend their services to my clients.”

 – Joseph Giffin, Community Relations Director, Cherry Hill Senior Living (a Five Star Community)

Wrapping Up

Being uprooted from a senior living community can be stressful for seniors and the process of temporarily relocating residents while you’re renovating can also be daunting for community managers and staff. Moves for Seniors understands, and we’re here to help.

Our temporary relocation facilitators can help your community managers and staff streamlines the entire process from start to finish by helping with everything from planning, scheduling, packing and unpacking, space planning, and settling seniors into their new homes. Moves for Seniors is at your side to answer any and all questions from your staff and residents, so you can focus on the task at hand—opening or updating your community.

Ready to learn more about MFS’s temporary relocation services? Let’s talk today.