10 Tips For Moving An Elderly Parent

Did you know that over 16% of the Australian population is elderly and over 65? Of this, 7.7% live with their children, and around 2.6 % live in multi-family households. This means that if you plan on moving homes in Sydney, you will also have to take into account your elderly parents.

This is especially true if you are moving away from a home you have lived in for many years. Your elderly parents might be attached to the house and find this move more challenging.

You can always hire a specialist move manager or professional removalist in Sydney to help you make this move less stressful. But more importantly, you must help them destress about relocating to Sydney by talking to them. Here are ten ways you can make this move smoother for your elderly parents:

1. Discuss The Matter

The first thing you should do is to discuss this move with your elderly parents in the following ways:

• Start by explaining why you are moving and what benefits there are in your new home.
• If you are moving out of your family home to downsize or for better opportunities, you must explain this to them.
• When older people lose control, they feel more stressed and anxious.
• So make them feel like they still have control by making them a part of the move and helping them understand why it is necessary to take this step.

2. Plan The Move

Once you have explained the importance of the move, you can ask them to help you with the planning. Firstly, you must make a blueprint of your new home. You can then ask your elderly parents to list all the belongings they would want in the new home.

Next, you should measure all the furniture items they want and see if they will fit. If the furniture doesn’t fit in your new home, you should take your elderly parents shopping for new furniture items or check furniture reuse shops. This will also be a good way to bond with them and ease the stress of moving.

3. Declutter And Organise

Now, you can let them start packing their things in boxes. While packing, ask them to separate items they might not be sure of or will not use in their new home. You can then organise these boxes further to sell or donate them.

4. Sell Unnecessary Items

You can check the items they don’t need and see if they can be sold in a garage sale. You can let your elderly parents decide if they think these items should be sold or donated. Remember, it is essential to let them feel that they are a part of the move, so take their opinion at every step.

5. Call A Junk Disposal

If there are items that you can’t sell or donate, you should call a junk disposal agency to pick them up these items. You can also contact a recycling agency and donate any plastic or other items that can be recycled. This will help benefit the environment and also reduce your carbon footprint.

6. Donate The Rest

You can donate the rest of the items to a charity that will pick up your items. Let your elderly parents pick the place they want to donate to. If they don’t want to give it to strangers, let them decide which friends or family members they want to give it to.

7. Get Professional Help

• Moving homes in Sydney is a tough job, and it can get more complicated when you have to move your elderly parents.
• While you can handle your own packing, it may be difficult for your parents to pack and load their items.
• To ease this stress, you can ask your friends for help or get professional removalists in Sydney to help you.
• These professionals know exactly how to pack and move even the most fragile items and can also help your parents unpack the items in your new home.
• Make sure you pick licensed removalist experts to avoid any scams.

8. Get Their Checkups Done

If you are moving to a new area in Sydney, you should get your parents checked by their doctors and purchase any medicines required. You should also start looking for a doctor in the new area as soon as possible so they can keep getting the medical help they need.

9. Check Your New Home

When you move house in Sydney with your parents, you will have to be extra careful in the new place since they require extra care. Make sure you get any repairs done in time, so they don’t injure themselves in the new place. You can also make the new home more elderly-friendly by installing night lights and setting up ramps outside the doors.

10. Hire A Senior Move Manager

If your parents are moving alone to another city, you should hire a specialist like a senior moving manager to help them manage the move. A senior moving manager will create a detailed guide to help your parents with this process.

They will then downsize and donate any extra belongings of your parents. Next, they will hire maintenance to clean the home before your parents leave and then they will even help them unpack and settle into their new home.

Conclusion

Moving to Sydney with your elderly parents is not an easy job and will take a lot of time and patience. You can make this move easier for them by involving them in the planning and getting budget removalists Sydney to help them.

If they are staying in another city and moving alone, you should call a senior moving manager to make this relocation process easier for your parents.