Are your elderly parents moving to a new place? Moving your own belongings can be hard enough, but it's even more difficult when someone else is involved in the process. If you and your parents want to avoid going crazy during the moving experience, here are 4 tips to keep stress low.
Involve Your Parents in the Process
The most important step in helping your parents to move is making sure that they're involved. In fact, they should be in charge. When you're helping someone, sometimes it feels easier to take the lead to make things go more smoothly. However, you shouldn't forget that this is your parents' life, and they need to have the final say on anything that involves them. Ignoring their feelings may be easier in the short-term, but things may be worse in the long run when you find out you've thrown away a precious item or made your parents feel belittled. The following steps will all be easier if you consult your parents at every step along the way.
Install Mobility Aids in Advance
Do your parents have trouble getting around? While they may have taken the time to adapt their old home to their needs, the new one isn't likely to come without mobility aids unless it's purpose-built. Often, people don't realise how much they need assistance until they don't have it. Remind your parents of this if they tell you not to worry about their aids. If you use a professional contractor, installing stair lifts and handrails shouldn't take more than a day or two, giving you plenty of time to make the house accessible before moving day.
Pack a Moving-In Bag
One of the most stressful aspects of moving is arriving at your house with none of the items you're used to having access to on a daily basis. This can be even more of a problem for elderly parents, who may have complex daily needs to attend to. With your parents' guidance, put together a bag of moving-in essentials that they'll need for the first day or two. This may include breakfast items like bread, tea and coffee, and milk (check whether your parents need a non-dairy alternative) as well as cutlery and crockery like mugs and plates. You'll also need to pack and medications and toiletry items your parents need. Packing familiar bedding is a great way to help them settle in; photos and keepsakes have the same effect. If their new home won't have working heating straight away, an electric blanket and portable heater may be necessary. Knowing your parents will be safe and comfortable on their first night and morning in the new home can alleviate a lot of the moving process stress.
Use a Removals Company
Above all else, don't undertake the moving process alone if you want to minimise stress. Getting help from a professional, reliable moving company makes everything far easier. Removalists can take care of dismantling, lifting, packing, transporting and unpacking your parents' furnishings, so no one has to undertake tasks they're not physically capable of. This way, all you need to take care of is the moving preparations and the finishing touches in the new home.
