Assisted Living
Moving Checklist: Moving Into an Assisted Living Community
Moving to assisted living can be an emotionally-charged process. Over the coming months, your loved one may feel excited, nervous, overwhelmed, nostalgic and more.
The transition to senior living in Westlake Village can be challenging, especially if you need to downsize from a family home. Your loved one may want to hold onto belongings or feel intimidated about such a big change.
The key to a successful transition is preparation, both logistically and emotionally. Here we’ll go over tips for this process. Our hope is that you can seamlessly move your family member to assisted living and see them thrive in our community as soon as possible.
Planning for the Move to Assisted Living
Planning ahead is crucial for achieving a smooth transition to assisted living in Westlake, CA. Rushing to pack up your loved one’s life can be extremely stressful. Plus, it doesn’t give them time to accept and embrace the change.
1. Get a Jumpstart on Downsizing
Ideally, you should kick off this process three months ahead of the move. Start by downsizing your loved one’s belongings. Families who have undergone this process recommend tackling this one room at a time, sorting items into keep, trash, donate or sell piles. If there’s a lot to get rid of, you might also consider hosting a moving sale or giveaway party.
2. Involve Your Loved One in Downsizing Decisions
Downsizing is a team effort, so it’s great you’re ready to help. Just make sure to include your loved one in decisions, so that they don’t feel like they have no say.
A big part of this process is the emotional transition. By downsizing together, your loved one will have the opportunity to relive certain memories, as well as feel empowered by making decisions. Stay sensitive to your loved one’s needs and try to generate some positive energy by putting on their favorite music or making the sorting into a game.
3. Understand the New Floor Plan
As moving day approaches, you and your loved one should take a tour of the new apartment. This will help understand the space dimensions, as well as reassure your loved one about furniture that’s already present. By knowing the assisted living floor plan, you can make better final decisions about what stays and what goes.
4. Don’t Forget Other Moving Tasks
Moving isn’t just about packing boxes. You’ll also need to handle other moving tasks to get your loved one set up in assisted living. For example, don’t forget to:
- Notify your loved one’s physicians of relocation
- Update pharmacy/prescriptions to the nearest location
- Give a change of address notice to key institutions (such as banks, insurance, SSA, Medicare, vehicle registration, etc.)
- Set up mail forwarding with USPS
- Schedule utilities shut-off at the old address
What’s more, you should double-check that all the pre-move paperwork for assisted living is ready to go. This may include sending a deposit, scheduling a moving time and more.
5. Stick to Your Checklist
Finally, print off a packing checklist and work through it in the weeks before the move. Having your tasks in one place will enable you to stay organized and make sure all your bases are covered.
Things to Bring to Assisted Living
As your loved one starts this new chapter, it’s vital they have everything they need on hand. Here are key items that you definitely should move to assisted living in Westlake Village.
Essentials
First things first: the essentials your loved one needs for their day-to-day life. These items should be placed in easy-to-reach bags and labeled as “open first,” so you can unpack them on day 1.
- Clothing: Comfortable options for all seasons, including shoes and daily jewelry. All clothes should be clean and stain-free.
- Personal aids: Glasses, hearing aids, cane, walker, wheelchair, shoehorn, etc.
- Personal care: Toiletries, medications, wellness items, etc.
- Important documents: Medical, legal and financial records, IDs, insurance, wallet, etc.
- Personal keepsakes: Photos, small decor items, plants, etc.
- Furniture: Be sure you have the perfect pieces that both fit in your new space and feel like home. Those who elect to add Varenita’s personalized furniture packages can enjoy a stress-free move-in day for themselves and family members.
Comfort Items
In addition, your loved one will need certain items to boost their quality of life. Don’t forget to keep these items handy while packing as well:
- Entertainment: Books, puzzles, music, hobbies, etc.
- Technology: Alarm clock, phone, iPad, laptop, radio, TV, chargers, etc.
- Favorite snacks: Non-perishable snacks and tea/coffee your loved one can keep in the apartment.
Minor Furnishings
There are items other than furniture needed to have an apartment that meets all your needs. Don’t forget necessities for daily life such as:
- Basic kitchenware: Glasses, dishes, utensils, coffee cups, etc.
- Bedding: Sheets, blanket, pillow, mattress pad, etc.
- Towels: Bath, hand and kitchen towels.
- Cleaning supplies: Broom/dustpan, paper towels, dish soap, sponges, trash can, etc.
- Other: Clothes hamper, hangers, nightlights, power strip, etc.
Things NOT to Bring to Assisted Living
Most importantly, you should aim to “rightsize” your loved one’s new apartment. Examples of items which would only take up space include:
- Clutter: Work diligently to get rid of duplicate items, excess collectibles and any other clutter that won’t fit in the new space. Leave behind any tripping hazards as well, such as rugs, items that sit on the floor, etc.
- Storage boxes: It’s tempting to pack boxes of items your loved one wants to hold onto. However storage boxes just occupy space and delay the need to sell or donate.
- Valuables: Items such as jewelry or antiques probably shouldn’t go to assisted living. You can minimize the risk of theft by placing valuables in a bank lockbox or gifting expense bulkier items to family members.
Tips for the Move to Assisted Living
Moving can be overwhelming, no matter the circumstances. To make the move as stress-free as possible, you should stay organized with pre-moving tasks.
1. Schedule Pre-Move Visits to the Community
It’s essential that your loved one feels comfortable in the community before moving day. Schedule a few visits that give your family member a well-rounded sense of the assisted living community. For example, plan to attend a lunch, club meeting, special event, etc. to ease your loved one’s transition.
2. Get Moving Pros on Board
Moving on your own can be a huge hassle. Instead, hire experts to handle loading and transport. This will free up your hands, so you can focus only on the organization. Some communities even have discounts with local moving companies, so check in with them.
3. Move and Set Things Up First
Ideally, you can finish moving your loved one’s things to assisted living before they arrive. For example, if you spend the morning with moving tasks, schedule to pick up your loved one in the afternoon. This gives you time to set up a few things in their new apartment and make it look like home even before they step foot inside.
4. Focus on Your Loved One’s Needs
It’s normal to focus on logistics during moving day. Yet, it’s important to look after your loved one’s well-being. Remember that this is a challenging moment for them and give them the care and attention they need to get through the day.
What to Expect on Moving Day
Every moving day will look different depending on your logistics, chosen community and more. However, a typical moving day agenda for assisted living may go something like this:
8:00-9:00 am | Complete any final day-of packing tasks. |
| 9:00 am-12:00 pm | Receive moving experts. Oversee transport of items to assisted living. |
| 12:00-3:00 pm | Set up the most important items in your loved one’s new apartment, including some personal keepsakes. |
| 4:00 pm | Pick up your loved one to move to assisted living. (While moving tasks are underway, it’s a good idea to have your loved one spend time at a friend or family member’s house.) |
| 4:30-5:30 pm | Show your loved one the apartment and unpack any other items they may need. |
| 5:30 pm | Walk your loved one to the welcome dinner in the community. (Be sure to confirm the welcome event schedule with your community beforehand.) At this point, it’s usually best to let your loved one integrate with the community without you. Say goodbye with the promise to call tomorrow and see how things are going! |
Make Varenita of Westlake Your New Home
Making the move to assisted living takes careful planning. Be sure to use these tips and our senior living moving checklist to prepare your family logistically and emotionally during this transition. Soon enough, your loved one will feel right at home in their new assisted living community.
If you’re preparing for a move, but haven’t yet found the right community, get in touch with us at Varenita of Westlake. We offer a vibrant, enriching community in Westlake Village, CA with both assisted living and memory care options available.
Get an insider’s look into our community and schedule an in-person tour with our team today by calling 805-413-3300.