The start of each new year is a fresh beginning and an opportunity to make your next trip around the sun a more rewarding, fulfilling experience. It’s a time to focus on renewal and make positive changes that have a lasting effect on your health and happiness.
The start of a new year can also be a catalyst for change. If you or a loved one has been considering a move to senior living, it could be the ideal time to start the process and begin preparing for assisted living.
For a loved one who needs a little extra help with daily living, a move to assisted living can be the perfect answer. With the support of a caring team, many seniors actually gain greater independence while living in an assisted living community. Making the decision to move to an assisted living community may feel like a major milestone, and it is, but it’s also the beginning of an exciting journey. Planning ahead and preparing for assisted living will help pave the way for a smooth transition to a new, enriching lifestyle.
Preparing Your Home and Belongings
While you’ll undoubtedly have a list of tasks to tackle before you can move, most people find the most demanding chore is sorting through their belongings. Transitioning the contents of a family home into a well-appointed senior apartment is an undertaking, to be sure!
Start with a list. Moving to assisted living is a big job, but checking items off a list will help ensure you don’t miss important steps—and let you celebrate milestones as you make progress toward moving day! Include all of the details, from finding a real estate agent and packing your belongings to hiring a moving company and cancelling your newspaper subscription.
Know your floor plan. Before you pack your first box, spend some time examining a floor plan of your new home. Imagine which items you’ll want in each room and how you’ll arrange your furniture to maximize storage and living space.
Consider your new lifestyle. Part of anticipating what you’ll need for your new home is thinking about how you plan to use the community amenities. For example, all of Canterbury Court’s assisted living residences include a kitchenette with stove, refrigerator and microwave. If you plan on using the community’s dining services for most meals, you won’t need all of your kitchen gadgets and accessories, but you may find it useful to stock your new kitchen with the basics for the occasional meal or homemade dessert.
Tackle one room at a time. The idea of sorting and packing an entire house is overwhelming at best. Approaching the job room by room will let you start a project with a finish line in reach. Moving methodically through the house will keep you organized and focused so you keep the job moving at a steady pace.
Sort efficiently. When you’re downsizing for assisted living, you might wonder what you’re ever going to do with all your stuff. Try assessing each item and placing it in a category: keep, gift, donate, sell or trash. Be realistic about what you can keep for your new home and be thoughtful about how you can keep items out of the landfill. You will undoubtedly have belongings you can pass on to loved ones, contribute to those in need or earn some money by selling.
Pack with care. When it’s time to begin filling boxes, use proper materials to ensure your fragile treasures are well protected. Also be mindful of how you fill and label boxes, remembering that the room items are in now may not be where they need to go in your new home. For example, the barely used towels in your guest bath may be perfectly suited for your new master bathroom, or a favorite reading chair in your bedroom may have a place of honor in your new living room.
Preparing Yourself
Even a highly anticipated move is likely to stir big emotions as you move into a new stage of life. You or your loved one will feel more confident and supported in the process if you take time to acknowledge and navigate the emotions surrounding the move.
Start small. Easing into the process of sorting and packing will allow you to gradually work through your feelings. Starting in a small room, like a pantry or bathroom that likely holds few sentimental belongings, will let you establish a comfortable rhythm before you tackle more emotionally laden areas.
Allow plenty of time. Trying to accomplish too much in a short time span adds unnecessary stress and may push you beyond your physical limits. Instead, anticipate that preparing for assisted living will likely take you months, not weeks. If it helps, you can map out a timeline based on your move-in date to ensure you use your time wisely.
Enlist help. If possible, invite a dear friend or loved one to share this undertaking with you. In addition to adding some muscle power, they can provide companionship as you make your way through a lifetime of memories. Pausing to laugh, cry and reminisce as you encounter mementoes from the past will make the process more enjoyable.
Process the emotion. You may think that soldiering through the complex emotions surrounding your move is the best approach, but allowing your feelings to pile up will just create a mountain to overcome later. It’s very normal to experience a mix of conflicting emotions as you close one chapter and move to the next. Allow yourself to experience and make sense of those feelings so you can embrace your new lifestyle with an open heart and mind.
Creating a New Home
Your new community may provide the framework of your living space, but you will be the reason that space becomes a home. Make it a priority to start adding your personal touches right away. Displaying sentimental items will bring familiar comfort to your new surroundings.
With fewer pieces of furniture in your new place, you may not have as many places to display knick-knacks and other beloved mementoes. However, installing shelves is a simple way to make use of your vertical space and introduce some character into your apartment.
Photographs are another great way to display sentimental memories, especially for belongings you decide not to bring. This is especially true of bulky collections, such as quilts or dolls. You might keep a couple that you treasure most, but a photo of the entire collection or individual photos in a collage frame will help you keep the memories close. Whether you bring decorative touches with you or plan to buy new, adding some flair in your favorite colors and textures will create a warm, inviting space. Even little touches like a favorite throw blanket and your familiar drinking glasses in the cabinets will help you feel more at home.
Immersing Yourself in the Community
One of the greatest benefits of assisted living is the neighbors you’ll soon be able to call friends. Many assisted living communities offer special programs to help new residents feel at home, so be sure to ask your move-in coordinator for details.
Also remember that your care team is there to support you, provide assisted living transition tips and facilitate a warm welcome. Don’t hesitate to lean on them for introductions or advice on the best ways to connect with others in the community.
The activities director will share information about upcoming events. In fact, looking ahead at the activities calendar before you even move in and planning to attend a few upcoming events will give you a jump start on socializing and provide a welcome break from unpacking.
You can also begin exploring the community amenities that align with your personal interests. That’s where you’ll find neighbors who share your passions, and that’s a great starting place for a new friendship to flourish.
You’re Just Steps Away from a Vibrant New Lifestyle
Preparing for assisted living may feel daunting at first, but taking it step by step and day by day will bring you closer to a vibrant lifestyle where you can flourish. If you’re still looking for the perfect assisted living community to call home, contact us to learn more about Azalea View, a welcoming neighborhood at Canterbury Court, located in the heart of Atlanta.