f you’re involved in organizing for a senior who plans to move, you might have come across the term “move manager.” A move manager is a professional who handles the general logistics involved in moving. But for a senior like yourself or your loved one, a move manager who specializes in helping seniors move or relocate will be more valuable.
A senior move manager, also known as a senior relocation specialist, specializes in assisting older adults with the various aspects of moving, including downsizing and logistics as well as the physical and emotional facets related to seniors transferring residences. Bottom line: They aid seniors in transitioning smoothly to their new residence.
Senior move managers can handle a few aspects of moving or all of it, depending on your needs and budget. And, while they might not handle the heavy lifting themselves, these senior relocation specialists can still handle this aspect of the move for you.
If you’re unsure or unclear about how exactly a senior move manager can help you or your loved one, here’s a rundown of what this specialist move manager can do.
Handle Logistics
One way a senior move manager can help you or your loved one is by handling the logistics involved in the move. Just like a general contractor, they can help you tap other professionals—in this case, moving companies—so you don’t have to deal with them. In this way, they become your single point of contact for everything related to the logistics of the move. No more calling and dealing with different people.
Senior move managers will find and hire professional movers for you. They can schedule the move and oversee the movers too, and they can organize shipment or storage of a senior’s belongings. They can coordinate everything and completely take these tasks off your plate.
Here are some things that a move manager can handle:
- Develop a Timeline
A senior move manager can also assist you in creating a realistic timeline for the move. This is a vital service, especially if this is your first time moving or helping an older adult relocate.
For one, they will know what to expect and exactly what services you will need, so you don’t have to guess or spend much time on research. Another great thing about having a senior move manager is how they can develop a plan around what a senior needs, plus you’ll be sure that they have a checklist of all the tasks that need to be completed to make the transition to a new home a success.
- Create a Floor Plan
While transferring a senior’s belongings from point A to point B is a major part of the transition process, there’s more to it than that. For older adults, it is necessary that their new home cater to their needs.
This area is another essential service that’s part of a senior move manager’s job. They can help a senior come up with a floor plan that works for their needs, habits, and lifestyle.
First, a senior move manager will measure how much space the new home has. Then they will help older adults identify the essentials that they should bring with them to make their new home a safe place.
- Decide What To Do With a Senior’s Belongings
With tons of stuff that have accumulated throughout the years, most filled with fond memories, deciding what to do with a senior’s belongings can be overwhelming. If left to decide on their own, older adults might opt to keep a lot of their things. However, their new home will most likely not have the space for all of the items they’d like to bring along, so having a professional guiding them through the process of sorting, decluttering, and downsizing can bring relief.
Senior move managers can help older adults decide what to keep, what to sell or donate, and what to throw in the bin. For the items they will bring to their new home, senior move managers can ensure that they are packed and labeled, and delivered safely to their new address. For the rest of their stuff, senior move managers can coordinate removal or storage, or organize donations, sales, auctions, etc.
- Aid in Unpacking and Settling In
Logistics is just a part of the equation. Unpacking and settling in are equally as important as moving from one home to another.
This is another area where a senior move manager can help older adults greatly. They can coordinate a professional moving company to unpack the items and arrange them in the new space based on the agreed-upon floor plan. This makes it easier for seniors to settle in.
In addition, senior move managers can also assist older adults in setting up their devices and other technology in their new home. In other words, they will help ensure that a senior’s internet, phone, and computer are all working and ready to use before they call it a day, which is a big help for those older adults and their loved ones who are not tech-savvy.
- Assist in Home Sale Prep
Beyond helping older adults with relocation, unpacking, and settling into their new home, senior move managers can also assist in preparing their old house for sale. They can manage or coordinate cleaning, disposal of any remaining unwanted items, and other tasks related to preparing the old home to change hands.
Provide Emotional Support
Throughout the entire process, perhaps the most crucial help a senior move manager provides is emotional support.
“One of the best skills a senior move manager brings to the table is their ability to listen,” Jennifer Pickett, (co) executive director of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), told A Place for Mom. “There’s the physical side of moving, but there’s also the emotional side of leaving what they’ve known and starting a new normal.”
Being emotionally prepared is key for a successful move. Otherwise, older adults might become overwhelmed with stress, which can result in the move going poorly and seniors going into a downward spiral. Senior move managers understand this and that is why they take it upon themselves to make an older adult’s transition to their new home as smooth as possible.