As our parents get older, they may end up looking to us, their offspring, for advice, care, and direction. There may also be cases where our parents have to move to another location, and moving an older adult, especially one with unique needs, can be tricky.  Most adults have accumulated quite a bit in their years, and making do with all of them can be a tall order.

Antique items may have been in the family for years, even decades, and as such should be handled by properly trained antique movers. Professional moving means the items are insured, safe, and protected over the long haul.

If the parent is moving into a smaller space, then proper storage may be required for some items and/or furniture. Chose storage facilities wisely, especially if you need temperature controlled units, or if you will have to store expensive or hard to replace items.

Before the move, you will also need to make sure that any accounts that your parent has with local merchants are properly settled, and that proper change of address forms are filed with the postal service.  Addresses should also be updated with magazines, memberships, etc so that materials and information can continue to be received in the new location.

Obtain all medical records and make copies of them, keeping them in a file where they can be stored.  Prescriptions should be transferred to a pharmacy convenient to the location where your parent is moving. Safety deposit boxes should be withdrawn from and all documents properly kept on file.

Heavy items and boxes should be packed on the floor so that lighter boxes can go on top of them, and breakables should be placed where they will not fall off and become damaged.  You can also send out cards to family and friends notifying them of your parent’s new address and time of move.

If you have plants, find a home for them. They will not survive the rigors of a long distance move and will only take up what amounts to wasted space.  Finally, set the date for all utilities to be shut off, usually the day before or the day of the move.

Next installment, we will look at the logistics of the actual packing and move.

Feel free to contact us for any questions or concerns you may have or continue to read our blog for more helpful moving tips.