Checklist For Moving Help
It can seem daunting to move into assisted living because of the amount of preparation required and all of the details that must be managed. You may feel overwhelmed. With the right resources and support, it can be made much easier, especially with the proper moving help.
You’ve made a significant step by choosing an assisted living facility for yourself or a loved one. Next, you will need to prepare for the move and then execute it.
Breaking down the process into smaller steps is the best way to go about a move to assisted living. Below are multiple lists of helpful tips to help you move into assisted living. For more details about any tip, click the link or scroll down.
Plan for your Healthcare Needs
You must ensure continuity of your loved ones’ healthcare following a move. These are some steps to take in order to achieve this.
Set up an appointment to see your primary physician. After you have signed the contract for an assisted living facility, you need to visit your primary physician. This is a great opportunity to have a checkup and get copies of all your current medical records. You can also talk with your doctor about the possibility of moving. Any paperwork required by your local community should be brought and must be signed by a physician. Include a current medication list and directions.
Find a primary care physician if you are moving to another area. Your current physician may be able refer you to someone in the area if your assisted living facility isn’t nearby. You can also find many resources online such as the one from Medicare.gov. You can avoid delays in getting medical care by making sure you plan your appointments.
Make sure you have all your medication in order. Check with your local community first to determine if they will accept bottled medications. If they do, fill the prescriptions for your loved one ahead of time. Then you can give them to the nursing staff at the new home. You will likely be using your local pharmacy if they refuse to accept bottled medications. Your doctor will fill out prescription information on these forms. The community will then work with the pharmacy to deliver the medication to your loved ones. The nursing staff will administer all prescriptions according to the prescribed schedule.
You should also plan for your other medical and health needs. You should make sure you find eye specialists in your area, as well as back specialists and dentists.
Finding the Right Moving Help
Here are some of our suggestions for selecting a moving company to assist with an assisted living move.
Ask the community to recommend a moving company. Your assisted living facility likely maintains a directory of local moving companies because they manage residents who move in every day. These companies might have special expertise in senior and assisted living moving services.
Get cost estimates. You should understand all terms and conditions of every moving company contract. You will need to budget for the assisted living move.
Look online for reviews. Online reviews are a great way to find out about the company’s quality. It’s possible to read real customer reviews and make a decision about whether or not the company is for you.
Check that the moving company you select is available for your move-in day. You should confirm that the moving company you select is available for your move-in day. It is not a good idea to wait until the last minute to move, only to find out that the trucks of the moving company you choose are already booked.
You should ensure that your company has proper insurance and licensing. You should ensure that the moving company you select has proper insurance and licensing in the states you’re moving from as well as the one you will be moving to. This should be something you inquire about as soon as possible to avoid problems.
If necessary, ensure that your company can move specialty and heavy items. It is essential to ensure that your company can move heavy items or hospital beds. This type of item requires special care and expertise to transport.
Tip for packing
Planning an assisted living move is a crucial step. Moving can be less stressful if you approach it efficiently and in a well-organized manner.
Hire a Senior Living Moving Specialist. A senior living specialist can assist with all aspects of the move, from beginning to end. The specialist will inspect your loved one’s home and help you decide what to bring and what to leave. They can also help you find storage options and set up estate sales or donate items that are not suitable for the community. They can also help coordinate with the moving company and pack and unpack the apartment. Although it can be expensive to hire one of these professionals, many families find the relief from moving stressful.
The most essential items should be prioritized. Prioritize the most important items first, such as toiletries, medications, clothes, bedding, and furniture. Next, move to the things that your loved one uses regularly like books, movies and knitting sets. You can pack some pots, pans, and dishes if the room has a kitchen. Plan accordingly based on the space available.
Label furniture clearly that must be moved. Label furniture belonging to a loved one with information about what must be moved, where it should go, how much storage space should be used, which items should be donated or sold, and what can be thrown out. It will be easier to organize your belongings as well as the movers.
Keep family heirlooms safe and valuable jewelry secure. You don’t want to risk expensive jewelry and family heirlooms getting stolen. Instead, keep them safe at home. It is possible to get cheap copies of sentimental items such as wedding rings that you love to have on hand.
Logistical items
Details are important when planning for a move into assisted living. These are some of the most important logistical details you need to consider before your loved ones move.
You can set up mail forwarding through the US Postal Service. The online USPS tool makes it easy to set up mail forwarding for your loved one. Your community may be able to collect mail prior to the move-in day. If so, you can set up mail forwarding a week ahead. You can arrange with your community’s concierge or front desk to have mail and packages held until the day you move in. You will make sure nothing is lost during the move-in process.
You can cancel your current utilities services. Call the utility company for your loved one’s former home to schedule cancellations for after their move. A majority of assisted living communities include utilities. If not, you can make arrangements to have the utilities transferred to your loved one’s new home.
All parties should be informed about the change in address of your loved one. You should make a list all the people and companies who have your loved ones’ old address. Then contact each one of them to update their community address. These include lawyers, creditors, insurers, doctors, and healthcare providers.
You can add your loved ones’ schedules and contact information to your device. You can add events to your calendar such as laundry day, home cleaning, salon days and any other community activities. You will be able to see what your loved ones are doing each day, and you’ll feel more connected. You should also save the contact information of your community to your smartphone. This will make it easy to reach maintenance staff, nurses, well-being staff and even the concierge team in a matter of seconds.
End of life planning is important. Although it might not be something you like to consider, planning end-of-life details is important. These include estate planning, DNR orders, power of attorney, and living will. This information should be shared with your local community.
The Week of Moving Checklist
Although we do not recommend that you rush to complete any tasks, these are items that can be done well in advance. These items should be checked off of your to-do list no later than one week before your move in date.
Verify with your community that all documentation has been received and signed. You should now have completed and submitted all paperwork required for your move-in. This is the right time to contact your local community to confirm everything is in order. You will have peace of mind, and you won’t need to fill out any last-minute forms.
Find out the new information for your family member. Is your loved one likely to use a local landline? Will you purchase a new phone for your loved one? You should make a plan about how you’ll stay in touch with your loved ones and ensure that everyone understands it.
You should ensure that your loved one is equipped with an emergency pendant. Your loved one must be equipped with an emergency pendant if they have mobility problems or are at high risk of falling. If they do fall, and nobody is nearby, the emergency pendant will allow them to contact emergency services immediately. Check with your local community to find out if there are pendants available or a place that sells them.
Ask your local community about gate codes to allow access to family members and other moving companies. You may need to enter a gate if your assisted living facility is part of larger residential retirement communities. You may also find separate codes for family members, move companies and loved ones. Get the codes from your local community and store them on your smartphone or anywhere you don’t mind losing them.
Here are our top tips to help you move into assisted living. You can also follow the steps above and speak to your local community for any additional suggestions.
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