Moving can be stressful for anyone, but when your elderly parent is leaving the home they love to live in a senior living facility, it often adds to the emotions of moving. Throughout their lifetime your elderly parent or loved one has probably collected a number of items that mean a lot to them, from postcards to clothing, and packing all of these belongings into a few boxes can be hard.

However, moving is also a great time for organizing your stuff and getting rid of some things

that you may not need. If you and your parents are getting prepared for their big move, here are some helpful tips for packing and organizing their mementos and keepsakes.

Make Room

Giving away sentimental items is one of the most difficult aspects of moving and organizing. If your parents are downsizing during their move to an independent senior living. Most seniors who are leaving their homes are moving to smaller houses or apartments, so they may not have room to bring everything they have collected over the years. This means you may have to help them get rid of some of their meaningful items, which can be a challenge if they are resistant to it.

The first thing you want to do is help your parents become a bit more comfortable with the idea of giving away or throwing out some of their items. This can be a very emotional process, so you want to make sure not to push them too much to abandon items they really love.

Focus first on the items they absolutely cannot part with. Making piles can be a good place to start; you can have a pile of things that are “must-keeps” and “maybes”. This will give them some reinforcement throughout the process by showing them they won’t be forced to get rid of the things that are really important. Once they have a maybe pile, it will be much clearer to them which items can go and which ones need to stay.

Group Items Together

Once you have determined which items your parents are going to keep, it is time to start organizing everything. The first step should be to take everything out and lay it on the floor or another flat surface to give you a better idea of what you’re working with. Then you should begin grouping things together.

How you choose to group your items will vary depending on your options for storage and how accessible you want them to be. For example, while you may want to keep all items from one trip together, storing photo albums and souvenirs together may not be the best use of space. Instead try putting items that are similar in shape and size together, like books and photos in one box, and clothing in another.

If you are packing to move these items, keep in mind that the weight of books and paper adds up before you know it. You don’t want anything to be too heavy, whether you or your parents intend on lifting them. If you have loose items like shells or jewelry, small plastic containers can be a good way to keep these items safe and stackable.

If your parent intends to keep these items in boxes from now on but wants the option of opening them up to reminisce, organizing them by event or time period may be a good idea. You want your parents to be able to enjoy these items because they mean a lot to them.
Author Bio

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beach goer operating out of Southern New Jersey.