You may be in the season of life where your parents are getting older and you’ve talked with them and decided that it’s not the best idea for them to continue living on their own, or so far away from you.  Either way, the process can be full of emotions and challenges that are unique.  It helps to be as prepared as possible when taking this under and, thankfully, there are plenty of resources available to help you along the way.

Here are is an abbreviated version to get you started:

1. People experience a range of emotions when it comes to moving, and most elderly people have been in their homes for a long time.  They have memories there, often of a spouse that has already passed away.  Your aging parent, even if they agree to the move, are going to need a lot of time to grieve and process their feelings.  Give them a hand in as much of the process as possible.  You don’t want to leave your mom or dad feeling like they are being stripped of all control as they start out their new life.
2. Set aside some time to really lay out the process in its entirety.  Know what kind of space your parent/s are going to be moving into.  Is it another house that is closer?  Is it an apartment?  Is it a room in your own home?  This will determine the extent of your downsizing and moving operation.  It would be great idea to print out a floor plan of the new place and help your parents decide where they will want to position their belongings.  This is the time you are going to want to start accumulating as many cheap moving boxes as possible.
3. Communicate with as many members of your family as possible about what is going to be happening with Mom and Dad, or Grandpa and Grandma.  Ask for everyone’s help.  The job is going to be much bigger than you think it will be (because it always winds up that way!).  Even the little ones can play a part by keeping their eyes open for free or cheap moving boxes.
4. Packing and Moving. Regardless of where your parents are going, even if its to another home in an adult community, the reality is that they are going to need to do some downsizing, to some extent.  Hopefully that pile of cheap moving boxes has been growing steadily.  There are so many different options for the actual pack-up and move, and those are readily available for you as well.