MAKE MOVING TO AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY EASIER: DON’T PACK ANY UNNECESSARY ITEMS

You have made several difficult decisions concerning the transition your loved one faces by moving from a home environment into an assisted living facility. After choosing the senior living facility that your loved one soon calls home, you face additional tough decisions that include which of your loved one’s possessions to bring into our assisted living facility in Portland, Oregon. The decision is especially hard because your loved one does not want to part with any of the belongings, many of which hold memories from early in your loved one’s life.
Let’s see how you can make moving to an assisted living facility easier by not packing any unnecessary items.

Ask for Help

This does not have to be a project for just one person. Enlist the support of other family members and even your loved one’s close friends to ease the burden you face regarding packing for a move into a senior living facility. Support can come in many forms that include helping decide which items to leave behind, as well as selling and donating the possessions your loved one does not bring into an assisted living facility.

Adapt to the Size of the New Living Space

Since assisted living and memory care apartments typically are much smaller than a family home, the amount of space in your loved one’s new apartment dictates what you can move into it. Ask the assisted living facility in Portland, OR for a copy of the apartment floorplan, and then measure each large item to determine what can go and what must stay. Try to maximize the limited apartment space by bringing along multifunctional furniture such as an ottoman.

Follow the Four Box Rule

Popular decorating shows present a proven method used to downsize and declutter living spaces. Place four large boxes in the largest room in your loved one’s current home. Label each box as keep, trash, donate, and sell. Work with your loved one by picking up an item, and then deciding which box the item should go in for the big move. Getting your loved one involved in the process should make it easier to separate every personal possession. If you have a difficult time deciding on a specific item, set it aside and return to it later.

Leave Behind Duplicate Items

The limited space of your loved one’s new apartment makes bringing along duplicate items tough to do. Although your loved one should have more than one set of towels and bed linens, you can leave behind other types of duplicate items such as clothes, housewares, and decorative items. In fact, the assisted living facility where your loved one moves might have restrictions on the type of decorative items allowed in a room.

Be Positive

The caregivers from MorningStar at Laurelhurst encourage you to be positive during the difficult transition period your loved one faces. Spread positive energy by keeping the mood light and positive while deciding which of your loved one’s possessions should be a part of the new living environment. If an item holds particularly fond memories and your loved one refuses to part with it, be sensitive while at the same time attempting to resolve the roadblock in the moving process.Discover more about how to make moving into an assisted living community easier by contacting one of the compassionate caregivers at our senior living facility.