Moving House in Later Life

No matter what our age, moving house is not always easy, mentally or physically.

But relocating in later life, especially if the home being moved out of holds a lifetime’s memories and emotions, can be extremely daunting for elderly people.

However, moving house in old age usually makes a lot of sense, and there are many good reasons to move home as we get older.

• To have better access to care and support
• To be nearer family
• To have live in a more manageable home
• For financial considerations
• To help relieve loneliness and isolation
• To stimulate new interests

If you have to assist with moving an elderly person to a new home, it will certainly take a lot of care, patience, and understanding from you.

Things to Consider When Moving the Elderly

As we get older we don’t have the energy levels that we once had. Moving home is exhausting with so much to organise and do, and that’s before we move a single item, so it is best to take the home-moving process at a slower pace.

There is also the person’s health to take into consideration. An ailment that may be inconvenient but tolerable when having to deal with day-to-day tasks, may not be so manageable when faced with the stress and physical needs of moving home.

Do not underestimate the effect that rekindling old memories may have, nor the realization that the person is moving from possibly the only home they have ever known.

And of course, the elderly person may be faced with little choice but to move for a variety of reasons, so you will need to be calm, positive, and understanding.

How to Organise a Home Move for the Elderly

Make use of a home moving timeline and calendar. This will help you to explain everything that needs to be done to the elderly person and will ensure that nothing is forgotten.

Allow as much time as possible for the home move, this will make it less daunting, and exhausting for all concerned.

A change of address checklist will help you to keep track of all the people to notify about the home move.

Draw up a floor plan of the new home, this will help in the decluttering and downsizing process. Make the plan as accurate as possible, and work with the elderly person on the best layout for their new home.

Remember though, that it is their home move, and you are there to offer help and support.

Before the actual home move, you may want to consider some social visits to the person’s new home. If it is a care home, for example, do they have a bingo night that you could attend so that the person moving there gets used to their new neighbours and environment?

If they are moving home to be nearer you or family, arrange some visits to the new area. A coffee and cake in a local café, a sit in the local park, or stroll by the river.

Do things that will reinforce the positive aspects of the home move and help the person moving become familiar with their new surroundings.

Decluttering an Elderly Person’s Home

In any home move, decluttering is the most vital, and often the emotionally hardest thing to do. But the aim here is to reduce the home moving costs and, having drawn up a floor plan, you now know they may have no choice but to dispose of some items of furniture.

Be sensitive to how the elderly person will respond to the news that a prized piece of furniture will not fit in their new home.

Often, if the person knows it is being donated to a worthy cause, or the money raised from the sale of the furniture will help with care costs, for example, it is easier for them to accept.

Let the elderly person decide if they wish to gift certain items to family members so that they know the cherished item will stay in the family and be looked after.

For an elderly person, letting go of things may be traumatic, familiarity is what makes a house a home, and gives us a sense of mental comfort and security.

Make a photographic record of any special items that it is just not possible to take. That way they can look through the pictures at a later date and it will help lessen the relocation depression that may set in.

Retain a few key items that will make the new place seem like home. A dresser set, a couple of framed photos, a vase, or an ornament, for example.

Do not consider storage units, or putting things in boxes and keeping them in the loft or garage at your home. This could prove costly financially, and will only delay the inevitable time when the items will need to be disposed of anyway.

It will be worth having a supply of cleaning materials with you when decluttering as elderly people are not always physically able to keep their home spotlessly clean.

Packing and Moving an Elderly Person to a New Home

Having decluttered as much as possible, you now need to decide if there are enough items to be moved to justify hiring a reputable removal company, or whether you should move the items yourself.

Packing is often one of the most time-consuming parts of moving home, and certainly moving heavy and large pieces of furniture is no easy task.

It is often better, and less stressful for the person moving, to let professional packers take care of packing the things to be moved.

However, there may well be some valuable or highly sentimental items that you would like to pack yourself, and indeed, some removal companies will not be able to provide insurance cover for such items.

Ensure that any items you do pack yourself are clearly labelled so that you know exactly what is in each box so that they can be easily located.

If there are antique items that need to be moved, it is not worth the risk of trying to move them yourself. In such circumstances, it is worth hiring the services of a professional removal company.

It is a good idea to pack a moving day essentials box. This is especially important if the elderly person has to take medication at specific times of the day.

The box should contain anything that the person moving may need quick and easy access to on moving day, such as medication, water, food, and important documents.

Things to Consider on Moving Day

You will need to be there to help support and comfort the elderly person on what may be a very traumatic day.

Hiring a reputable removal company will alleviate the stress of moving and transporting the goods, leaving you to care for the elderly person.

Try to make the day as relaxed as possible, focusing on all the positive aspects of the home move.

If you can, arrange for someone to take them for a spot of lunch so that by the time they arrive at their new home, all the noise and upheaval of the removal team delivering the goods has finished.

If the person who is moving has a pet, it is best to arrange to have the pet put into kennels or looked after away from the stress of the home move on moving day.

Have familiar photos or ornaments out on prominent display for when the person arrives in the new home so that it feels like home to them.

Also, consider how you will transport the elderly person to their new home. If they are less able-bodied, will they be able to maneuver themselves into your low or high car, or do you need to hire a suitable taxi or hire car?

Useful Contacts for the Elderly Moving Home

Housing advice for older citizens in Northern Ireland is available from the Housing Executive.

In England contact your local council for advice on available help and grants.

If you live in Scotland, housing advice can be sought from the Scottish Welfare Fund.

There are also many charities that may be able to help with house adaptation and other support for the elderly. Turn2Us has a database of available help and advice.

Ageuk has a website full of information that you may find useful.

Citizens Advice also offers a wealth of information.

Moving Home with Seniors Will Affect You Too

Finally, It is not just the older person moving home who may be affected by the emotional attachment to the old home or contents.

Be aware of the emotional impact it will have on you too. Ensure you get plenty of rest and relaxation time, this is likely to be an emotionally draining time for you.

If the person moving is coming to live in your home, or nearer to you, how will it affect your family and lifestyle is not to be underestimated?

There are support networks for such circumstances, and Age Concern has plenty of useful advice for you.

Additionally, you will find some useful tips for dealing with the stress of moving home here.

And of course, any stress-free home move hinges on hiring the right removal company.

To find out how much hiring a professional removal company would cost just click here.

Also Read

Pros and Cons of Moving to Wales

You don't get views like this in Milton Keynes. Table of Contents[Open][Close]Top 5 Happiest Places to Live in... Read More

The Pros and Cons of Moving to the Countryside

Most peoples idea of heaven but is the reality of living in the countryside so idyllic? Table of... Read More

How to Move Somewhere You’ve Never Been

Moving to a place you have never been before adds a whole new layer of complexity to your relocation, but it can... Read More