Making the decision to move to a personal care home is an excellent step. It’s a great way for your loved one to get the care they deserve and get the support of a community like ours. At Juniper Village at Lebanon, we’ve put together a handy checklist to help make the process smoother.
A checklist for moving to a personal care home includes:
- Planning the move
- Preparing for moving day
- Easing the transition for your loved one
By breaking it down into these three steps, you’ll find it much easier for you and your loved one.
1. Planning the Move
If you and your loved one have already decided where to move, there’s a simple place to start: get a floor plan if you can. This lets you understand your loved one’s future home and the appropriate dimensions. You’ll be able to visualize the future setup and make a plan for what to bring along.
Don’t forget to find out if the home is furnished. If it isn’t, you can plan out what your loved one will be bringing along—and if it is, then you can make plans for the furniture they’ll need to get rid of.
Once you know what to expect, it’s time to pack!
Packing & Sorting
Packing isn’t always a fun activity. After all, getting a person’s entire life into a few boxes can be extremely overwhelming at first! So break it down into a few stages, and take your time to do it right.
Don’t try to do it all in one day! Instead, try to start weeks in advance so you can avoid the last-minute stress of moving day. It can help to:
- Buy boxes ahead of time
- Set up a labeling system so you know what’s in each box
- Buy tape—a lot of tape!
If you plan on hiring a team of movers, try to lock in your day early. This way, you’ll know that when the big day comes, all the heavy lifting is taken care of! And some services also help with packing, which can save you and your family a lot of work.
Try to avoid packing anything your loved one needs daily, but remember to set a box aside for it when it’s finally time to move.
2. Preparing for Moving Day
As the big day approaches, things are going to change a little bit. By now, you should have most of the packing done—other than the essential things your loved one needs every day.
Cancel or Change the Utilities
The last thing you and your loved one will want is to keep getting bills for a home they no longer live in! Take a few hours and make a list of any and all accounts and their login credentials. Try to think about:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Heat
- Internet
- TV services
- Any delivery service
Call your loved one’s utilities providers and let them know if the utilities need to be switched or canceled.
Update Address
Don’t forget to update the post office of your loved one’s change in address—they may have a system in place to avoid future confusion. Then, take some time and either change or apply to adjust your loved one’s:
- Banking information
- Government forms
- ID
- Insurance policies
- Vehicle documents
- Credit card
While you’re going through this, try to keep your paperwork in one place. Set aside a box, a briefcase, or some other storage for moving day. Then, you can rest easy knowing that all the important documents are safe and sound in one place.
3. Easing the Transition for Your Loved One
Once moving day arrives, you should be ready to go! Don’t forget to grab the box of documents and the box of everyday essentials.
Spend time with your loved one and support them through the move. Moving can be emotional for everyone involved—but it also means that a new chapter is beginning! Show them that you love and support them, and let them adjust to things at their own pace. Help them decorate, visit their new home often, and encourage them to participate in the programs available at their new home.
We’re Here for Your Family
Here at Juniper Village at Lebanon, we’re committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for both you and your loved one. We want to nurture each and every person in our community, and we’re excited for your loved one to join our family. Book a tour with us today to see for yourself!