Moving at any age can be a hassle.
But moving for a senior can be downright traumatic.
There’s a local company that can make the journey easier.
It's inevitable – as we age, things change. One of those changes may involve moving or even downsizing the place where we live. It's tough on seniors.
"It's very emotional. Because seniors live in their homes for 30, 40 years, everything has an emotional attachment for them. So getting rid of their things, downsizing, de-cluttering or actually physically moving is very difficult because they haven't done it in so many years,” said Cynthia Arnold of Senior Move Managers.
It's not always about moving. Sometimes, the company comes into a home to simply make it safer. Here's a before and after picture of a living space Senior Move Managers took care of.
"To make it safer for them. Make it so that, in case a walker is needed, they can get around the house - trip hazards, things like that. It gets very unsafe for the client when they live in a cluttered environment,” she said.
Cynthia and the rest of the company employees took an extensive course in Florida to discover how to best serve seniors when it comes to accommodating to different life style.
"We even had to write a check with our non-dominant hand - just trying to write a check like you had a stroke. So we did a lot of the age-sensitivity workshops so that we can learn what seniors actually go through in something that happens to them,” she said.
The company transfers, sells, discards - whatever the seniors decide to do.
But she emphasizes it's important for adult children to talk with parents in advance about what - for many seniors - could be a lifetime of memories.
"Even if your mom and dad is in good health right now, it's good to start talking sooner than later. Get the conversation rolling, that way they can make the decision on their own instead of it being your decision when something bad happens,” she said.
