Moving is always a stressful process. There are many things to look into and prepare. However, it is possibly even more stressful for older adults who are preparing to move into retirement communities. As moving to retirement communities means lesser living space, they have to experience the hassle of going through a lifetime of belongings and sorting through all their items to selectively bring what is necessary and important to them. The entire process can take a toll on them mentally and physically. To help you downsize smoother to senior living in Fish Hawk, FL, we have compiled the following tips.
It’s Always Better to Start Early
You know that you probably have a mountain pile’s worth of belongings to go through, so start your packing early! Most of the panic and stress that comes with packing is always due to time constraints, not having enough time to run through everything, and thus having to rush our way through. Plus, we do things slower with age, so we need to give ourselves ample time to get things done. It is best to give yourself minimally 3 months to pack. The start date can be even brought further back if you have many belongings and require more time, you can adjust it accordingly.
Have a Plan or Schedule
To ensure that you will not end up being unable to finish packing by moving day, it is best that you set a plan or schedule for yourself before moving to assisted living. Your plan can include the flow of items to sort through. You can go by category, such as by starting with medications then clothes followed by food, etc. Start by disposing or giving away unwanted items first. You can give the items to family, friends and neighbors or donate them to your local charity organization. Alternatively, your plan can be to do your sorting and packing room by room.
Plan Your Living Space Layout
To have efficient packing, get the floor plan of your new apartment. This gives you a gauge of how much space you will be working with and you can better plan what items you will be keeping and bringing over. This streamlines the whole packing process as you know exactly what items will or will not fit into or suit the apartment. When sorting your belongings, it is good to ask yourself if the item is regularly used or will be useful to you before deciding whether to discard or keep it.
Source for Help
Regardless of one’s age, it is always hard to pack alone so don’t be shy to enlist help. Call your siblings, children and grandchildren over to help you if they are free. More hands help the packing go faster and having everyone pack together can serve as a form of motivation for you to get through this tiring process. Having your family over to assist with packing can also be a good opportunity for family bonding. You can use the time and chat and reminisce about family memories.
