In my last blog, I gave you some suggestions on having the conversation with your aging parents about downsizing – for their safety and/or in preparation for a move. Once you’ve had the conversation and the decision to move has become a reality, the real work begins. Perhaps like many people who are caring for an aging loved one, you work fulltime and/or live some distance from your parent. That adds another level of stress to getting the move organized, scheduled and done. And that’s where a Senior Move Manager, such as myself, can help.  Here are a couple of examples of how I’ve helped clients downsize because of a hoarding situation, and downsize in preparation for a move across country.

An organizing ultimatum

After a lengthy hospitalization, Bob’s wife Sue entered a skilled nursing facility for rehab. Shortly before she was to be released to go home, a social worker made arrangements with Bob to visit the home for a routine assessment. This is a typical scenario for someone going from rehab to home – it’s important that the home be considered safe, and not detrimental to the person’s health. When she visited the home, the social worker was appalled at the couple’s living conditions. Bob and his wife were hoarders.  Clothing, old newspapers, empty food cartons, and a variety of other items covered nearly every inch of floor space.  There was no clear pathway for Sue to maneuver the walker she’d need to use when she got home. The social worker very quickly determined that the home was unsafe and unhealthy, and gave Bob an ultimatum. The house needed to be cleaned up or the County would seize it in order to pay for his wife’s continued care at the skilled nursing facility.  Through a referral, Bob frantically called me.

I brought in my team of organizers, and we worked for two solid days filling a dumpster with trash and boxing up other items to be donated or stored. We were able to transform the house enough for Bob to get a solid “thumbs up” to bring his wife home.

Downsizing and moving across country

Because they wanted to move closer to family, Ginny and Joe decided to sell the 4-bedroom home where they’d lived for 45 years and move to a smaller, 2-bedroom unit in a senior community near their children in another state.  The thought of sorting through and packing the things they’d accumulated over the years was daunting, however. So they hired me, 6 months before the planned move. The first thing I did was create a move timeline so we’d have a goal to work toward. Then I personally worked with Ginny and Joe on the emotional journey of choosing which possessions to take with them, which ones to distribute to their family, and which ones to leave behind for donation or sale. I then brought in my team of packers, hired the moving company, got in touch with a reputable estate sale company and managed the entire process.

On move day, I took Ginny and Joe to the airport, and wished them well on their new adventure. I then promptly delivered the keys to a spotless, empty, ready-for-sale home to their realtor.

If your parents are ready to downsize, or are preparing for a move and you would like some professional advice or help, please contact me at 408-318-0828 or minda@mindacutcher.com!