Most of us, if not everyone, have or will experience moving at least once in our lifetime. It involves challenging tasks and it’s much more of a challenge for seniors and those with disabilities. Asking assistance from loved ones and hiring a trusted moving company would be a great help. If you or a loved one will be moving, this will serve as a guide that you can follow to educate seniors or disabled adults to make the moving process organize and easier.
Making a Timeline and Checklist
Making a timeline is a crucial part of planning during a move for all people. This should be done a few months before the move to ensure all activities will be followed, especially the packing process which should be done two months prior. Since moving needs extra care and time for people who have special needs, making a checklist is necessary. Be sure to include transferring of medical equipment if applicable, list of items in each room, setting up the utilities needed and of course, preparation of the new home.
Home assessment should be included in the timeline to determine what will be needed in the new place to be more accessible for older people or with disabilities. Make sure to include in the checklist on how easy to access the new home starting from the front door to each room and the places that would require ramps and any modifications. Remember to make the home ready before the furniture movers unload your belongings.
Creating a Budget
Home moving requires financial planning not only for seniors or people with disabilities but for everyone. It depends on the size of the move and the distance so it’s better if you have an idea so you can create a budget and determine the approximate amount of money required to avoid any future problems. If you don’t know how to do it, you can use some online moving calculator to give you some ideas.
Creating a budget is also a great way to check if you need any financial help from friends or families. You may also ask help from several organizations or charities for additional assistance. Some may even help you pay the cost of hiring movers. This will lessen your stress and avoid any shortcomings during your move.
Removing Unnecessary Items
Removing unnecessary items should be done before packing to fasten the process and to focus on the necessities. But this can be difficult especially if the items carry emotional value. Asking support from family and friends is really important during this process and they can help decide what items you can, and should take with you, based on the space you’ll have available in your new home.
On the other hand, you can ask your family, friends or neighbours if they could benefit from any of the belongings you won’t be taking with you. You may also sell the items at a garage sale for an extra money or you can donate it for a worthy cause to any organizations in your area.
Preparing an Essential Box
Be sure to add the essential box to your checklist. Why? This will avoid having to unpack everything to search for your essentials or take multiple trips to the store which is stressful especially if you’re unfamiliar with the new place. Remember to put the most important items you’ll need on a daily basis such as medication, any charging cords for wheelchairs or other equipment, your sleepwear and toiletries, a comfortable change of clothing and some foods. This will make you feel comfortable and prepared in your new home which will make your move less stressful.
Coordinating with Family and Friends
Asking for help is never easy but this is a crucial step to get the right amount of help during a move. If you have vision, mobility or other disabilities or any age-related conditions, you’ll surely need assistance for packing and moving your items. Coordinating with family and friends ahead of time is a good idea to make sure everything is set according to plan and avoid any last-minute issues. Do not attempt to do everything by yourself especially in moving heavy items since you may get injured during the process. Remember, your move will be less stressful if you have all the help you need.
Hiring a Trusted Moving Company
It’s great if you have friends or families to help you out during your move, much more so for people with physical limitations. But believe me, it’s better to hire a trusted and professional moving company since they are experienced enough in making your move as safe, quick and efficient as possible. You can ask some people who personally used a moving company in the past for recommendations.
There are plenty of movers, but you should make time to search and read reviews of the company to make sure it’s reliable. Be sure to look for furniture movers that can move special equipment like wheelchairs, CPAP machines, lift chairs and other necessary equipment. They can help you in putting the equipment together if they disassemble it during the move and they can surely provide extra care for those items.
Arranging Health Care Services
If you’re moving interstate, it’s crucial to arrange all your health care needs in advance. This includes locating the nearest emergency care facilities and finding a new primary care physician. Refill any prescriptions before you move and ask your current doctor for referrals or recommendations for specialists in the new area for you to make an appointment as soon as possible with your new healthcare providers. Arrange the transfer of all your medical records to your new healthcare facility as well. Remember, you need to do everything you can to avoid any delays in any way with these services.
