Moving into Assisted Living: Your Essential Checklist
Transitioning to assisted living is a significant life event, both for older adults and their caregivers. Staying organized and informed can ease the process. This comprehensive checklist will guide you through the necessary steps, ensuring a smoother move and a more comfortable adjustment.
Downsizing and Organizing
Preparing for a Smaller Space
Moving to assisted living often involves downsizing from a single-family home or apartment to a smaller living space, such as a studio or shared apartment. It’s important to thoughtfully assess what to bring and what to leave behind.
Steps to Stay Organized
- Obtain a Floor Plan: Ask the facility for a detailed floor plan, including measurements. If none is available, measure the space during a visit.
- Take Photographs: Capture images of the living space to help visualize how your belongings will fit.
- Understand Provided Services: Most facilities offer daily meals, so kitchen items like pots and pans might not be necessary. However, small personal items, such as coffee mugs or glasses, might still be useful.
Key Questions Before Downsizing
- Do you provide a packing list for new residents?
- Are there specific items required or prohibited? For example, certain facilities may have rules about laundry hampers or shower curtains.
Sorting and Packing
As you prepare, categorize your belongings into three groups:
- Keep: Essential items you use regularly. Verify their necessity in your new space.
- Donate/Gift: Quality items that won’t fit or be needed in your new home. Pass them on to friends, family, or charities.
- Discard: Items that are worn out, no longer needed, or won’t be used.
Clothing and Personal Items
Closet space is often limited in assisted living. Find out the storage capacity, including whether you’ll have a wardrobe or closet. Label all clothing with your name using permanent markers or iron-on labels to prevent mix-ups with other residents’ belongings.
Moving Logistics
Planning Your Move
Pre-planning can reduce the stress of moving day. Create a timeline that includes packing, finalizing paperwork, and addressing legal and financial matters. Moving may only take one day, but organizing for it could take several weeks.
Consider Hiring a Senior Move Manager
A senior move manager is a professional who can assist with downsizing, organizing, and handling the logistics of your move.
Hiring Professional Movers
The need for professional movers depends on the size of your current home and your new living space. If you’re moving from a large home with several pieces of furniture, hiring movers might be a wise choice.
Steps to Find Reliable Movers:
- Ask for Recommendations: Assisted living facilities may have preferred moving companies experienced in senior moves.
- Research Reviews: Check online reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp.
- Get Estimates: Narrow down your choices to two or three companies and compare their rates.
- Confirm Credentials: Ensure your chosen movers are licensed, insured, and available on your desired dates.
Health and Medical Considerations
Health Forms and Tests
All assisted living facilities require specific health tests and forms before move-in. Make sure these are completed ahead of time to avoid delays.
Communicating Medical Needs and Preferences
Beyond medical forms, share hobbies and interests with the staff to help them provide activities that enhance social and emotional well-being.
Coordinating with Healthcare Providers
Work with the facility’s staff to transfer medical records and prescriptions, especially if you’ll be using a new healthcare provider or pharmacy.
Paperwork, Bills, and Utilities
Completing Pre-Move Paperwork
The facility will have various forms requiring completion, including medical, financial, and emergency contact information.
Managing Utilities and Services
Typically, utilities are included in the assisted living rent. You can likely cancel your current services, but check with the facility about any additional services, like Wi-Fi, that you’ll need to set up.
Submitting a Change of Address
Make sure to fill out a change-of-address form to ensure that all your mail reaches your new home.
Part 5: Legal and Financial Matters
Updating Important Documents
Ensure that all your legal documents are up to date and provide copies to the assisted living facility. Consider keeping a copy in a locked safe in your new home.
Key Documents to Update:
- Social Security card
- Health insurance ID cards
- Power of attorney documentation
- Will or trust documents
Settling In
Adjusting to Your New Home
Moving day is just the beginning of your transition. Allow yourself or your loved one time to acclimate to the new environment. Remember, it may take a few weeks or even months to feel completely at home.
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