Moving is stressful no matter how old you are, and it gets even harder with years of memories and possessions collected in one home. In fact, more than half of seniors say that avoiding the hassle of moving is a reason why they want to age at home, according to a survey by the National Council on Aging.
Senior move managers relieve this burden, specializing in helping older adults downsize and transition to assisted living communities or other housing. We spoke with Jennifer Pickett and Mary Kay Buysse, the executive team at the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), about the benefits of hiring a senior move manager.
1. Senior movers are experienced and vetted.
NASMM requiresĀ its members to have general liability insurance, take classes in ethics and safety, and provide a signed contract to protect the manager, the family, and their senior loved one. They also have a code of ethics and standard of practice for all members.
Many senior movers have found move management as a postretirement career. Some have backgrounds in nursing, social work, and psychology while others worked in marketing, project management, or even information technology. Often, the combination of their professional background, life experience, and desire to connect with seniors prepares them for this unique role.
2. Senior move managers can save time.
Some families will hire a move manager months in advance to beginĀ decluttering or downsizingĀ the seniorās home room by room over time. Others will go all-in for a weekend.
Especially for geographically distant families, senior move managers can save considerable time and resources. Instead of adult children making multiple flights for organizing, moving, open houses, and estate sales, the mover can manage many of these tasks.
Senior movers also rely on technology to support families while conserving resources, says Pickett. āIf youāre in a long-distance situation, a lot of the downsizing and selling can be done virtually. Move managers have that technology at their fingertips, from inventory to virtual organizing tools.ā For example, managers can set up family virtual chats, or use tools like online marketplaces to make sales.
3. Move managers help seniors downsize with dignity.
When a person lives in one home for their entire adult life, they fill it with reminders of the people and places they love.
āThe art of senior move management is helping older adults part with their possessions without parting with their memories,ā says Pickett.
It can be hard for younger generations to understand the emotional difficulties ofĀ downsizing a seniorās home. Members of Generation X have moved 40% more often than baby boomers, and millennials increasingly choose experiences over objects. This disconnect can leave adult children frustrated at their aging parentās reluctance to let things go.
Senior move managers encounter this situation often, and they can empathize with elderly adults struggling to downsize. Theyāre able to provide creative solutions that family members may not have considered.
Buysse describes a move manager working with a woman in her 80s, a passionate traveler who had visited countries across the globe. Throughout their travels, the woman and her husband acquired 85 unique teapots.
āShe was absolutely despondent over the fact that this move to a 500-square-foot apartment could mean, for the first time in 50 years, that those teapots would not be with her,ā says Buysse.
The senior move manager suggested the woman select her three favorite teapots to display in the dinette cabinet in her new assisted living apartment. She took photos of the other 82 teapots, combined all those photos into a single poster, had the poster professionally printed and framed, and presented it to the woman as a gift. This thoughtful, professional gesture is one example of how senior move managers can find creative solutions to help loved ones cope with the difficulties of downsizing.
4. Senior movers can save your family money.
The national average cost of a senior move manager is between $40 and $80 an hour, depending on the location and type of move. Often, managers will also offer package options based on client needs. NASMM requires all partners to provide comprehensive estimates to each prospective client. In addition to reducing expensive travel plans and the costs associated with moving trucks, senior moving services have the resources to recoup your loved oneās expenses through sales and discounted rates from professional partners, like cleaning services and appraisers.
Senior relocation specialists know how to sell and donate.
A senior mover has a streamlined process for the aging adultās possessions. They may start by taking photos of the entire house and sharing them with family members to determine what should be kept. Once thatās decided, the planner will work to find the best homes for the seniorās remaining items. āThere are a lot of options, and the dumpster is the last resort,ā says Buysse.
- Theyāll organize donations to charities like Habitat for Humanity or Move for Hunger while ensuring that all donations are documented for tax-deduction purposes.
- Senior move managers may also have resources to sell unique treasures like antique books, Civil War memorabilia, or entire collections, says Pickett.
- If your family decides to have an estate sale, the move manager can connect you with an estate expert or sometimes conduct the sale themselves.
Move managers have connections.
With real estate agents, cleaning services, appraisers, and staging experts in their network, most move managers can help families cover every aspect of the moving process. Senior move managers who donāt offer trucks and boxes can often recommend trusted moving companies as well.
- This goes beyond convenience: These connections may save a family money through specialized discounts.
- Some senior living communities partner with local senior move managers. If youāre considering hiring one, ask prospective communities if they have any incentives to help lower costs.
5. Move managers allow seniors to feel in charge of difficult transitions.
Itās important to involve seniors in the moving process so that they donāt see the transition as something happeningĀ toĀ them. This may mean organizing clothing and books or sorting through a box of Christmas ornamentsĀ ā it all depends on your loved oneās physical and cognitive condition. If your aging relative is able to make some decisions, theyāll be more likely to accept the move, says Pickett.
Often, a change in health or the loss of a spouse prompts a move to a senior living community.
āThereās so much loss associated with aging,ā says Pickett. āUnfortunately, most of the time when seniors decide to move, something has happened, and theyāre not necessarily in the position where theyāre in total control.ā An impartial third party can bring order to the moving process, reducing stress for both the senior and their adult children. āThat way the family can focus on the physical and emotional needs of their loved one.ā
6. Senior move managers can emotionally prepare older adults for assisted living.
One of the biggest hesitations seniors have about transitioning to assisted living is a desire toĀ age at home, surrounded by familiar memories and possessions. If an older adult is struggling with the decision to move into independent or assisted living, communities may recommend reaching out to a move manager to ease the process.
āOne of the best skills a senior move manager brings to the table is their ability to listen. Thereās the physical side of moving, but thereās also the emotional side of leaving what theyāve known and starting a new normal,ā says Pickett.
During a consultation with a senior and their family, a senior mover can listen to concerns and offer solutions based on their experience with others in similar situations. They can help reduce the fear of downsizing and make a seemingly overwhelming process less daunting. Once the decision to move to assisted living has been made, move managers help set an older adult up for a successful transition.
āItās so important to make a senior move seamless and stress-free,ā says Pickett. āIf a move goes poorly, the stress thatās associated can really send an adult into a downward spiral.ā
7. Senior move managers can prevent family conflict.
The stress of moving, coupled with conflicting personalities, can lead toĀ arguments among adult childrenĀ and their aging loved one. Often, one sibling will try to speed up the sorting and packing process. āThey may say something like, āMom, you donāt really need this thing.ā But it isnāt their decision ā itās her decision,ā says Pickett. A senior move manager can de-escalate the situation and put the argument into perspective.
Move managers can calmly provide an objective perspective and guide families through the process of deciding which things to keep, sell, and donate. āThere are a lot of memories and emotions wrapped up for the adult children as well,ā Pickett notes. āSenior move managers are valuable because they help take that emotion out.ā
Creating lasting connections during life changes
Sometimes, senior move managers will pack and ship hundreds of items. Other times, theyāll set up transportation and accompany loved ones across the country. No matter how involved your familyās move manager is, the process of downsizing and moving often creates a personal relationship. Itās not unusual for move managers to be in touch with clients long after theyāve settled in.
Sources
Housingwire. āYounger Generations are Moving More Than Others.ā
https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/moving-managers