A Stress-Relieving Plan to Help Elderly Parents Deal With Downsizing
Adult children must often assume somewhat of a parental role as their own parents grow older and less capable of living on their own. At times, this can lead to stressful conversations about the future. One common example of this is when adult children talk to their parents about making a plan to downsize from a too-large family home to an apartment that will be more convenient.
I fit is time for you to have this difficult conversation with one or both of your parents, learn what you can do to relieve the stress related to this major life change.
Pursue Commitment by Setting a Firm Date
Many adult children have tried to discuss downsizing with their elderly parents in the past, only to see nothing come of it. In most cases, this occurs because the conversation was somewhat vague, making it easy for elderly parents to push the subject aside.
Adult children can succeed by helping their parents commit to a date for moving that will act as a firm deadline your parent scan work toward.
Build Momentum by Booking the Moving Company
Once your parents have agreed to set a date for moving, you can help them begin to build momentum for successfully downsizing by immediately booking a moving company. As part of booking the date, schedule the moving company to also visit your parents in their home to answer any questions they may have and prepare an initial quote.
These simple steps, along with interaction with the mover, will help your parents become more comfortable with the idea of moving and more ready to take an active role.
Deal With Heirlooms in a Proactive Manner
By the time most people reach their later years, they have accumulated many items that they want to hand down to their children and other family members. Concern about what will happen to these heirlooms is often a strong reason for older parents to resists moving from their family home in the first place. Adult children can help their parents overcome these concerns in two proactive ways.
The first way is to suggest that your parents work with the moving company to pack and move precious heirlooms into secure,climate-controlled storage. If the parents are not yet sure who they want to receive each item, this type of safe storage option will allow them to go ahead and downsize without worry while knowing their heirlooms are protected.
If the parents already have a will or plan for the dispersal of family heirlooms and keepsakes, adult children may want to encourage them to move ahead with these plans as part of their moving process.
Doing this can help to relieve any stress they may feel about ensuring that their treasured belongings are kept safe. In addition, it can offer elderly parents a chance to experience the joy of personally handing down each item to their loved ones.
Use Visuals to Help With Furnishing Choices
Moving from a large home to a much smaller apartment will mean paring down household items, including furnishings and appliances.
A good plan for this begins with measuring the furnishings and large items that your parents want to keep. Once you have this information, accompany your parents to the apartment they have arranged to rent, remembering to take a long a measuring tape and a roll of painter’s tape.
Using the measuring tape and painter’s tape, help your parents mark the dimensions of large items, such as beds,couches,and tables, on the floor. Doing this will help them visually see how well their furniture will actually fit in the apartment and give them enough time to make any needed changes without feeling stressed.
Outline Ways to Make the Move More Organized
During the moving process, your elderly parents will quickly realize the need to reduce the number of items they move but may feel unsure of their best options for doing so. Adult children can help their parents by suggesting one or more of the following options:
- Donating excess kitchen and household items to local shelters
- Holding a yard sale or listing items for sale on online classified sites
- Taking items to a local consignment shop
Most churches and charities offer receipts for tax-deductible donations, which your parent scan use when they file their taxes for the year. Point out to your parents that by donating or selling items before the move, your parents also reduce the number of pounds to be moved and save on the total cost of the move.
Making a move during the elderly years is challenging, especially when it involves leaving a beloved family home. I fit is time for your parents to downsize, Affordable Moving Company, a family-owned and -operated professional moving service,can help make the moving process much less stressful for both you and your parents.