The decision to move into a senior living community can be an emotional experience for everyone involved. A proactive approach is the most helpful way to ease into the decision-making process. With this big change of moving into a new living environment, reducing your personal items is an important step for this next chapter in life. If your loved one is someone who is not used to a smaller home, the downsizing process can be tough. The process of moving into assisted living often means sorting through decades worth of items and memories to decide what is to keep and what is to donate. At Harmony Senior Services, we want to make this change easy and exciting! Here are a few tips to help you and your loved one get started on the process of downsizing.
Discuss the Positive Changes of Downsizing
Moving into a senior living community brings great freedom and a care-free lifestyle for seniors. A move into senior living could mean letting go of extraneous possessions which can be difficult for many. It may be a challenge to visualize life in a new setting, but it is helpful to focus on the positive changes such as 24/7 care, less home maintenance and reduced trips running errands and arranging doctor’s visits. There are common misconceptions related to nursing homes and care homes with cramped and outdated living spaces. Focusing on the benefits of moving into assisted living is important, especially if your senior loved ones are distracted by the negatives. Let them know their sentimental possessions will be stored away and passed along throughout the family. Acceptance can take time, but your help with downsizing will make the process easier!
Prepare for their new home and needs
Before moving in, reach out to the assisted living community and request floor plans with measurements while you are downsizing. It is important to be aware of how much space your senior loved one will have and how much furniture and household items they can bring with them to their new care home. Having more information will put them at ease and let them decide what is essential to bring and what can be left in storage with you. At our Harmony Senior Services retirement communities, we offer spacious 1 and 2 bedroom floor plans with a full-size kitchen, laundry services, and housekeeping as well as spacious studio apartments. Only bring what you want and need to make our senior community feel more like home!
Avoid Getting too Sentimental
It is already a hard transition when moving into assisted living, so avoid getting sentimental about generic items. Anything that holds emotional value can be kept by you or put into storage. Make sure to save space in their new home for what is needed, but also let them know their treasured items will be in good hands.
Donate, Donate, Donate!
For anything you and your loved one don’t want to keep, donating is not only helpful to you, but also benefits others that are in need. You can donate to your local charity, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or even close friends and family who may be in the market for furniture or other home items but can’t afford anything new. If your senior parents know that their donations are helping those in need, they may not feel as upset over parting with some of their belongings.
Downsizing into a retirement community is great for senior adults looking forward to maintenance-free living. You and your loved one will find the right level of assistance for their needs in our Harmony Senior Services luxury senior living community. Contact the Harmony Senior Services location nearest to you to explore available living options and start downsizing for the next step in life!