The Challenge of Senior Moves

A move of any magnitude often begins with a house full of memories, from trophies in the attic to a basement full of tchotchkes, photo albums, and home movies. Among other things, a home may be filled with family heirlooms, fine china, and drawers or boxes of tools and equipment. 

The entire process of moving can be overwhelming. With access to local resources, Moves For Seniors’ senior move specialists and facilitators are standing by, ready to go above and beyond to ensure you and your family get the help you need for a smooth senior move. 

Frequent and clear communication is key to a successful move, especially one with complex circumstances. Here is the story of one senior. 

Nancy’s Story

Nancy* was a long-time resident of Nevada who knew it was time to downsize and move to a senior living community. She signed a lease with a Moves for Seniors partner community in California. Unfortunately, over the next few months, Nancy would deal with increasing mental health challenges and have difficulty taking charge of the move. Her existing lease was extended several times and she was facing eviction. Adding to the challenging situation, Nancy had no family locally to help her.

The community she had selected tried to keep Nancy moving forward, but Nancy needed help with downsizing, decluttering, and packing, as well as actual moving services. She was overwhelmed and unable to proceed.

The Plan

Nancy’s new community in California contacted Moves for Seniors and asked if we could take charge and help make the move happen. We promptly scheduled one of our local facilitators, Ginger, to go visit Nancy’s home in Nevada to assess the situation, establish trust, and define the scope of how much help Nancy needed. Ginger was able to connect with Nancy and become a vital, stabilizing part of the moving process. Ginger helped bring order by recommending specific services and plans to facilitate Nancy’s relocation. 

From there, Moves for Seniors mobilized a team of local resources to execute Ginger and Nancy’s plans. This included a moving crew, Ginger in the role of a professional organizer, and house cleaners. 

The Solution

Moves for Seniors’ Senior Move Specialist, Karen, contacted Nancy’s current landlord regarding the pending eviction to understand the dates and requirements. Both Ginger and Karen kept in frequent contact with Nancy to offer emotional support in the midst of her confusion and severe depression.

With an understanding of Nancy’s circumstances in Las Vegas, plans could move forward. The Sales Leader at Nancy’s new community in California was able to transport Nancy via Uber to her new home with nothing but her two cats and her purse. The community set her up in a hotel-like furnished unit in the interim, while the Moves For Seniors team planned to sort, pack, and transport of Nancy’s belongings.

With an eviction date looming later that same week, Ginger contracted a local cleaning service to make the conditions at Nancy’s old home workable. She also connected with Nancy via FaceTime to determine which items she wanted to keep and got them packed and ready for transport. 

Karen arranged a long-distance mover to transport the items Nancy was able to use in her new home, while Ginger provided move management service to ensure the appropriate items were loaded onto the truck. The remaining items were taken to a donation center. Ginger even coordinated with one of Nancy’s friends who was planning a visit to transport houseplants and some other delicate personal items in her car. Within 10 days of arrival, her belongings were back with Nancy in her new home.

The Result

The apartment was turned back over to the landlord prior to the eviction deadline, and Nancy’s personal belongings arrived shortly after her at her new home in California. Nancy felt relieved that she had the things that were most important to her, she had no legal ramifications from her original home, and all of her other items were distributed as she wanted. 

Because Karen had kept in regular contact with the Community Sales Leader, the new community was ready to address the mental health concerns and ensure a smooth transition, especially on the days that Nancy didn’t have her personal items. 

Takeaways

The move from one state to another can be labor-intensive to say the least, particularly when you’re dealing with health issues (mental, physical, or both). Moves for Seniors’ Senior Move Specialists can help alleviate the stress by involving a local Facilitator and overseeing the process from start to finish. 

Whether you’re working directly with a senior living community, a senior, or a senior’s family member, Moves for Seniors can provide logistical (and emotional) support. Let Moves for Seniors help with the most stressful aspects of planning, decluttering, packing and unpacking, and settling into the new home.

Ready to make the move? Get your quote today.

*Client name has been changed for confidentiality purposes.