In most situations, a move is a time to celebrate. Whether it’s for a new job or better career opportunities, to be closer to family, or for any other reasons, relocating often signifies positive and exciting life changes.
For many senior citizens moving into assisted living arrangements, the change happens because living at home is no longer an option. When these types of relocations occur over the holiday season, the situation can sometimes put a damper on what should be the most joyous time of the year.
However, even when a move into assisted living has to take place, it doesn’t mean that the situation is all negative. There are many positives to look forward to for seniors moving into assisted living, including extra safety, security, and convenience for those living there. In addition, moving during the holidays can legitimately be fun due to the holiday events most assisted living communities host.
At AMS Bekins, we’ve helped countless families move loved ones into assisted living environments over the holidays—to great success. Follow along as we cover just how the move can be fun, some tips for organizing a smooth move, and how our team at AMS Bekins can help with specialized moving services for seniors.
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Making the Move Fun
Moving from a house into a retirement community might not sound appealing for those that love their homes. In fact, many elderly residents of retirement communities tend to resist the change at first, but quickly accommodate to the change of lifestyle and the many benefits and amenities to enjoy in assisted living. Here are some of the great benefits to look forward to a transition into independent living for seniors, especially over the holiday season:
- A New Social Life: Perhaps the biggest benefit not named health and safety is the ability for your parent or grandparent to have a social life. During the holidays there are countless activities, events, and more to experience. If you got to move into a community, this is the time to do it.
- Staying in Touch: During the holidays, residents are encouraged to reach out to others in the surrounding community through events, charity organizations, and other outlets. There are many ways to get involved with the community over the holidays, including knitting sweaters and scarves for the homeless, participating in food drives, or attending youth festivals and performances.
- Family Time: Family is encouraged to visit their loved ones in assisted living residences throughout the holidays, with organized luncheons and dinners, and other special events. This could even mean spending more quality time with family members who’ve made it a point to designate time with their loved ones in assisted living.
Consider the Details
Before you can get to the fun part of moving into an assisted living community, there are technical issues to resolve. This is the part where you need professional movers who specialize in assisted living moves to help you out. Here are some points to consider that will make things easier for the move into an assisted living facility.
- Map Out New Spaces: Apartments in these communities are likely to be much smaller than you’re used to. Plan ahead to decide what will fit and what will not. This will help you decide what to keep, throw away, or store. If possible, have an estate sale to get rid of things that no longer serve you, or use a storage facility like the ones at AMS Bekins to keep belongings that won’t fit in your new space.
- Downsizing is Necessary: This is an emotionally hard time for your loved ones. Patience and understanding is key to handling this part correctly. Professionals that are experienced in downsizing can be of tremendous assistance, as they will know how to minimize the impact of downsizing on the smallest amount possible.
- Create a Budget: Moving costs money, no matter what kind of move you’re making. For seniors, income is usually quite fixed, so make sure your professional movers tailor your moving plan to suit your budget, and that they explain exactly what your move will cost before you agree to the terms in the contract.
- Consider Storage Options The best piece of advice we can give is to work with movers that offer assisted living storage solutions. Downsizing and consolidating possessions can be greatly minimized by taking advantage of storage options. Plus, with inventory management, there is nothing that says that redecorating can’t happen by swapping items out from time to time.
Assisted Moving With AMS Bekins
No matter the reason, a move into assisted living usually comes with lots of adjustments and the need to downsize considerably. That being said, downsizing moving and storage doesn’t mean saying goodbye to all of your things. The team at AMS Bekins offers secure assisted living moving and storage solutions so that you can keep your items accessible to you. Superior customer experience is our foremost priority.
Moving into assisted living requires exceptional customer service, with the ultimate care, and respect. That’s why we customize your move to fit within your needs and budget. In addition, we offer an unmatched storage solution that includes a modern inventory system so you can pick up the items you want anytime you want.
A few of the other benefits our storage facility provides include:
- 60,000 Square Feet of Space
- Alarms
- Secure Storage Vaults
- Quick Drop-Off/Pick Up
- Short and Long-Term Storage
Ready to explore moving services for seniors? Give us a call to speak with one of our agents about our professional moving services or fill out our online form to schedule your free quote.
