How To Help The Elderly Move House
Moving house can be a stressful and chaotic process, but for many older homeowners who are deciding to downsize or relocate later in life, the experience can feel even more overwhelming. While hiring a professional removal company can significantly ease the process, there are also ways that you, as a family member or friend, can offer support to help make the move easier.
Helping elderly individuals move house requires careful planning, patience, and consideration, but with the right approach, it can be a smooth and manageable task. In this guide, Omni Removals shares helpful tips and insights for assisting elderly loved ones with their move, ensuring everything goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
1. Be Considerate
When you're younger, moving house is often an exciting experience, usually associated with a new job opportunity or starting a family. However, for older homeowners, the move can feel quite different. It’s important to approach the situation with care and consideration, acknowledging that moving may not hold the same excitement as it might for younger people.
For older individuals, leaving a family home after many years can be emotional, no matter the positive reason for the move. It’s natural for them to feel a sense of loss, and it’s important to acknowledge their feelings. Helping them stay positive during this time can make the transition smoother.
You can ease the emotional aspect by revisiting memories. Going through old photos, watching family videos, or simply asking about the personal items they’re packing can help bring a sense of nostalgia. These conversations can provide comfort and allow them to cherish the memories they’ve created in their home, making the moving process feel more positive and less daunting.
2. Leave Enough Time to Complete Each Step
Helping elderly people move house typically takes more time and patience, as they may not be as quick or physically capable of handling the moving process. It's essential to take this into account and give them ample time to get organized and complete each step at their own pace.
Moving is already stressful for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for older individuals, so it's important to make sure they don’t feel rushed. Depending on their circumstances, it's wise to start planning well in advance. For many, a three-week preparation period before moving day may be necessary, but in some cases, more time might be needed.
Start early by helping them find a reliable removals company and begin the packing process, focusing on items that are not frequently used. The earlier you begin organizing, the smoother the entire process will be. Planning ahead will ensure that everything is taken care of without last-minute stress, giving them the time and space they need to prepare for their new home.
3. Make Tasks More Manageable
Moving house can be overwhelming for anyone, but it can be even more challenging when you're helping an elderly homeowner. To make the process more manageable and less stressful, it's helpful to follow a moving house checklist. This way, you can break down each task into smaller, more manageable steps, ticking them off one at a time, so the person you're assisting can move at their own pace.
4. Communication is Key
When helping someone move house, it's crucial to remember that you're handling their belongings, not your own. Clear and open communication is key to ensuring that everything goes smoothly. Always check in with the homeowner about which items should be packed and what needs to be left behind. It's easy for things to get mixed up during the packing process, so make sure you're following their directions precisely.
If something isn't done on time or if an item is misplaced, it's important to notify them right away. Keeping them informed about the progress, delays, or any issues ensures that they are fully aware of what's happening, giving them peace of mind. It’s also essential to ask about any special instructions, like how to pack delicate or dangerous items, so they’re handled with extra care. Don’t hesitate to ask questions to clarify instructions, as it's better to double-check than to make an assumption that could lead to mistakes. This approach ensures everything is packed and moved exactly as they want, minimizing stress for everyone involved.
5. Keep Them Informed
Keeping the elderly person you're helping fully informed throughout the entire moving process is essential. If they’ve never moved before or haven’t done so in many years, they might not be familiar with how things work, or how the moving industry has changed. Make sure to discuss all available options with them before making any decisions.
For example, hiring a professional removal company may be an option to consider, and it’s important to go over the quotes and services that each company provides. Discuss whether they offer additional services like packing, dismantling furniture, or reassembling items at the new home. It’s also worth looking into the experience of the removal team and their reputation, as this will make a big difference in the quality of the move.
Don’t make any decisions without consulting them first, as they should feel confident and comfortable with the choices made on their behalf. Including them in the decision-making process ensures that they feel in control and supported during this significant transition.
6. Help Them Notify the Right People
When in the middle of a house move, it's easy to forget everyone who needs to be notified that you’re changing your home address. Get your friend or relative organised by making a list and helping them inform anyone who needs to be told of the change of address like their friends, acquaintances and GP.
7. Help Them Declutter
Before packing begins, it’s important to clean and declutter. It’s very easy to accumulate a lot of possessions throughout the years, so make sure you tackle each room one at a time. It's a good idea to sort items into a ‘keep', ‘donate' and ‘throw' pile so you and the homeowner can physically see what’s going where.
A good way of deciding what to keep would be to throw or donate anything you haven't used in over six months. Of course, many items hold sentimental value, so even if there’s no room at the new house they can always put them into storage. Always confirm with the homeowner before throwing anything away as you never know how much emotional value it may have.
If they find sorting through sentimental items difficult or if the deadline for the move is too soon, one solution could be to rent a storage unit to keep their possessions safe until the move is complete. This way, they will have as much time as they need to go through the excess items.
8. Hire a Removal Company to Help
Professional removal companies make the moving house process so much easier, especially when it comes to helping an elderly person move as the heavy lifting is immediately taken care of. To ensure that they’re qualified and reliable, you can use a comparison website like Omni Removals to ensure they’re fully insured with the appropriate removals experience.
The removals team can take care of all the hard work, like dismantling furniture, packing valuable items, loading and unloading the boxes and even reassembling the furniture at the new property. This can be a great help to elderly homeowners and will make the process go much more quickly.
