Helping Your Elderly Parents or Grandparents Move

The moving process can be be stressful. Entire rooms need to be packed up, transportation always feels like a hassle, and adjusting to the new home can be tough. There are a hundred little details to remember, and only a day or two to get it all finished.

For the elderly, this relocating process can become all the more frustrating and confusing.

If you are preparing to move your elderly parents and grandparents, it is your responsibility to remember all the moving details, all while caring for your loved one. You are gently helping them through this transition while at the same time fretting over the logistics of packing, transportation, and the rest.

In other words, you might feel like you have double the work, double the responsibility, and double the stress. Here at On The Go, we understand what it’s like to help an elderly relative relocate, and how difficult the process of moving senior citizens can be. Listed below are several ways you can make moving day easier for you and less stressful for your elderly relative.

Help Them Sort Through Belongings

So, you’re helping your elderly parents or grandparents move. The most important thing in this situation is organization. Without careful planning, moving day sneaks up and everything demands attention all at once, throwing you into panic mode and upsetting your elderly family members. Chances are, they have lived in their current home for many years, and may be uneasy about relocating to somewhere new.

First, sort through their belongings well in advance to the move. Help them decide what to keep, what to throw out, or what to sell. Family heirlooms are obvious keepers—don’t pressure anyone into throwing away items with sentimental value. However, years of living in one place can cause clutter to accumulate, and not everything is worth hanging on to. Walk from room to room and decide on what you will be packing and what will stay behind. If you find valuable, non-sentimental items, it might be worth getting them appraised and sold.

In most cases of senior citizens relocating, they are moving to a smaller residence. If it’s not a retirement home or care center, they are probably still going for something more manageable. This is reason is enough to sort through their belongings. Unpacking at the new place should be a relaxing process, without excess belongings that just add clutter.

Organized Packing

Once you’ve decided what belongings will be moved, plan the packing process. Most packing experts recommend that you pack according to room. Kitchen items join other kitchen items in a pile of boxes clearly labeled “kitchen.” The same goes for every bedroom and living space. This will be extremely helpful not only for you and your senior citizens, but also for any other family members or friends who will likely be helping out on moving day. Boxes will go straight to specific rooms, easing the moving and unpacking processes.

Fragile items should be moved with special care. You may have to store these boxes apart from the rest, even moving them in a separate, smaller vehicle. Again, relocating after many years can be nerve wracking and distressing — there’s no need to add further frustration by breaking the fancy china.

Ask your parents or grandparents what they consider the most fragile, and then treat those items with the utmost care.

Plan Ahead

As mentioned above, planning ahead is the most valuable thing you can do when moving elderly relatives. By simply talking to them and hearing their concerns you’ll be able to more adequately move them safely and happily to their new residence.

Additionally, as you speak with them about planning, contact a moving company and reserve a truck and movers. It won’t do to scramble for help on the big day—moving companies are trained and experienced, and you will be thankful for the convenience. Just remember to reserve the truck well in advance.

Call On The Go Moving

At On The Go Moving and Storage, we provide premium packing and transportation services. Our teams of experienced movers will work with you to make your move as comfortable, safe, and efficient as possible.

We are fully certified and insured, ready and willing to serve you as we do for families across the Pacific Northwest. For more information, call 425.336.2018 or request a quote through our contact form.