Making the Move to Senior Living: A five-part series from Sky Active Living
Step 1: Making The Move
Step 2: Benefits of Independent Living
Step 3: Finding the Right Community
Step 4: Make Your New Space Feel Like Home
Step 5: Celebrate With Your Community
Every move comes with the opportunity to personalize a new space and make it fit your style and personality. Making the move to senior living is no different, with the added bonus that your new apartment comes with great amenities, and you will become a part of our built-in community! Now’s the time to focus on the fun part: making your new apartment feel like home.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED:
Measure your new space.
Before you begin planning, shopping and moving furniture, it’s helpful to know exactly how much room you’ll have to work with, especially if you are moving from a house to an apartment. This will help you decide what to keep, what to sell and what to give away as you’re packing. If you are downsizing, we have some tips for you on the next page!
Find a style you love.
Moving is the perfect time to explore a new style and switch things up, so get creative with it and embrace this opportunity to reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t mean you have to completely start over, but maybe you want to upgrade certain items in your home. It can even help to note your favorite pieces of furniture that you already own and then use that as a jumping-off point to design the rest of your space.
Show off your personality.
Your home should reflect who you are. Whether that means choosing wall art that has sentimental value, displaying items that relate to your hobbies and interests, or filling your home with photos of your family and friends, this will bring the feeling of home with you wherever you go. Some ideas to get you started are displaying things like instruments, handmade items such as blankets you’ve crocheted or knitted, framed collections of art or a personal collection, and décor or pieces that are tied to fond memories.
Use bright colors.
Unless you simply prefer dark tones, bright colors are the way to go, especially in a smaller space. You may not have control over how much natural light your apartment gets; but sheer, white curtains can do a lot to brighten a smaller room. Use bright accent colors in décor such as wall art, throw pillows, bedding, fresh flowers, tableware and anything else you want. It’s your home, so have fun with it!
Make it home for your pets, too.
If you are a pet person, then you know how much love and warmth pets bring to a home. At Sky Active Living, we are proud to offer a pet-friendly home at all our locations across the country, and you can even see photos of our furry residents posted on our social media pages. Before you move in, check to see if the communities you are considering are pet-friendly and if there are any size or weight limits. You can also ask about designated dog-walking areas or parks during your tours.
We hope this makes you excited about the moving process and provides some ideas to turn an apartment into a home.
DOWNSIZING 101
One of the most potentially overwhelming parts of the transition to a senior living community can be downsizing your things. Moving to a new apartment doesn’t have to be intimidating or a lot of work if you have a plan. We’re here to offer some tips to help you downsize your things without downsizing your life.
Make your plan.
It can be tough to know where to begin when going through your things. Writing out a plan and timeline for sorting through each room and a general idea of items you want to keep or donate will help you stay on track. It’s also important to factor in time to go through and enjoy memorabilia and keepsakes. This process could be a good time to look back and reminisce on fond memories.
Start early.
Waiting until the last minute to begin consolidating your things is a recipe for stress. It’s best to assume it will take you at least a couple of months, especially if you are only able to work on it a little bit at a time.
As author Marie Kondo would say, “Does it bring you joy?”
After you’ve narrowed down the things you need for your new space, it’s time to decide which items reflect your style, carry sentimental value and will make your new space feel like home. A good way to think about it is “How do you feel when you hold it or look at it?” You should bring with you the items that bring you joy and evoke special memories.
Take your hobbies with you.
Bring any items you’ll need to enjoy your favorite hobbies, such as golf clubs, art supplies, instruments and games. You can always utilize libraries and digital options like movie streaming services and Kindles to save space on books and DVDs. This is also a great time to pick up a new hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. The options are endless.
Make it fun!
Downsizing, although challenging, can still be a fun process. Call your family and friends to see if they’re willing to help you go through things. Play your favorite music, have some snacks, and make a day of it. This is an exciting step into a new season of life.
MOVING CHECKLIST
Moving into any space can go smoothly if you have a plan. Here’s a sample checklist to help you and your family as you prepare for your move.
Confirm with your community that all paperwork is complete, and all initial payments have been made.
- Ask your community for measurements of your new apartment to help you plan what to bring.
- Measure the pieces of furniture and other large items you want to bring with you.
- Create a layout based on your measurements and label the pieces of furniture that will fit.
- Hire a moving company and read through its policies.
- Go through all of your belongings and decide which items you’d like to bring, and which can be donated. Ask your family and friends for help!
- Make arrangements to donate or throw out any items you are not taking with you.
- Create a shopping list for items you’ll need for the apartment. Feel free to change things up with upgraded sheets or a nice plant!
- Tell your friends and family members about your new home and send them your new address.
- Update your address with the post office and any health care providers you regularly visit.
- Work with your pet’s veterinarian to create a transition plan for your furry companion.
- If you are moving to a new city, research health care providers and other services in your area. This is something your new community can help with!
- Talk to the community about options that would allow you to access your apartment before the official move-in day. This can give you more time to decorate and set up your apartment. It’s time to make this space feel like home!
- Participate in orientation activities to learn more about your community.
- Invite your family and friends over to see your new place.
- Celebrate with your new neighbors!
