ARTICLES / General /
Senior Move Managers /
Other ArticlesBy Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
As parents, grandparents, and other loved
ones age, their lifestyles must change as well,
including the place they call home. A stressful
time in anyone’s life is “moving day”. To leave
a home lovingly filled and yes, even cluttered,
with decades of memories and memorabilia is an
overwhelming task for the person living there,
but for the long-distance caregiver, even more
so.
Many companies are popping up around the country,
offering practical assistance to long-distance
caregivers and compassion to the loved ones needing
to change location. These services are not merely
the typical brawny “moving guys,” but professional
consultants, who provide room-by-room guidance in
packing; moving; and deciding what to keep, what to
donate and what to toss.
Stepping forward
Help is out there, but where?
The National Association of Senior Move Managers
(NASMM) is a great place to begin. This non-profit
organization specializes in exactly what its name
says: moving seniors. Visit
www.nasmm.org and
with a simple Internet search by state, a
user-friendly contact list of accredited
senior-specialized companies is provided.
Many senior moving services offer the full gamut,
including planning/prep and downsizing, packing,
moving day needs, settling in and follow-up. For a
long-distance caregiver who may not be able to be
physically present for the entire process, this is
more than helpful.
The most time-consuming tasks are those a
caregiver may not think of at the onset of a moving
process. Disposing of trash, cleaning house,
transferring or disconnecting utilities, organizing
at the new home, are all services senior move
managers provide. They have knowledge for finding
local realtors, repair companies, auctioneers, etc.
that a long-distance caregiver might not have of the
community where their loved one lives.
Many companies providing this service are using a
method which involves mentally “placing” the
person’s existing possessions into the new home.
With a layout of the rooms, and conversations with
the client, these move managers can get a feel for
how the person would like their new place to be set
up. Instead of just dropping boxes and leaving,
these services can be hired to stay through the
entire process, from packing, to unpacking and even
re-decorating.
Some seniors opt to stay at a hotel or
caregiver’s home for one night, while the service
preps the new place. This makes the transition
easy and stress-free, moving from one “home” to
another, filled with familiar sights and smells.
