After you have found a top-notch assisted living facility such as Vivante Living and decided that you have to move there, the next thing to do is to prepare for the big move.
How do you prepare for assisted living? Here is how to go about it:
Have a chat with your family
If you have children and other relatives and you had not notified them about your willingness to move to a facility offering assisted living in lincoln, for example, this is the time to let them know about it. Don’t let them come to visit you and find out that you already moved.
As you are having a chat, talk about your fears and let them share their feelings. Since you will be moving, there will be no one living in the house, and the last thing you want is the house getting abandoned. You should agree with your family members, who will take care of the house once you are gone. It will even be better if you can have someone come over and stay in the house.
Plan for your healthcare needs
As an elderly person, your health is likely already compromised, and you frequently take medication.
Don’t just wake up one day and leave thinking that you will find a physician that understands your condition in the assisted living facility. Before the move, make an appointment with your existing health care provider to figure out your needs so you can compare what is included in assisted living costs.
Besides discussing your move, get a physical checkup and obtain copies of your up-to-date medical records.
If you are suffering from a chronic condition requiring regular medication, remember to fill up your medicine bottle.
If you are moving to a new geographical area and the living community doesn’t have experts in the condition you are suffering from, ask your doctor for referrals.
Pack the necessary items
What you carry to the living community depends on the condition of the facility. Some facilities are fully furnished, and all you need to bring are your clothes and sanitary products, while others are empty, and you have to bring your furniture and other valuables.
You should have surveyed the facility before making the moving decision, but if you never did thorough research, get in touch with the facility and clarify what you can bring along.
When packing, prioritize the essential items such as clothing, medication, toiletries, and beddings. You should then move on to the other things you will use regularly, such as movies, books, and knitting sets.
If the new living room comes with a kitchen, pack a few pots, dishes, and pans. Most of the rooms in assisted living facilities are small, so don’t overdo it.
For expensive items such as jewellery and any other things that you can’t carry with you, store them in a safe place either at home or in a safe deposit box. You can even donate some items that you feel you won’t need in the future.
For a calm time unpacking, ensure that you label everything and indicate where they should go.
Find the right moving company
You won’t be moving the items by yourself, will you? You need to find a moving company that will do the work.
An ideal place to find the company is from the living facility. Do they have a splendid company that has been moving residents? Ask them to send you their contact information.
If the facility doesn’t have a good company to recommend or the recommended company doesn’t work in your area, take it upon yourself to research and find an ideal company. A good place to begin is online.
Read the online reviews of the moving companies in your area and settle on the best one.
For peace of mind that your items are covered in the event of an accident, ensure that the company is insured. It also should be licensed to work in your local area.
If you are moving speciality items such as hospital beds or heavy furniture, ensure that the company can do it. As a rule of thumb, it should have a large vehicle for the work.
One of the major mistakes many people make is to hire the first company that shows up in the search results. This is wrong. The right thing to do is to contact at least five or more companies and interview them. During the interviews, you will find out more about the company and decide whether you want to work with them.
Most companies will ask to visit your home to see the items in person before giving you a quotation. To avoid problems in the future, ensure that you get the quotes in writing.
Change your address
You don’t want to continue receiving your utility bills at the old address, so you need to change to your new address.
All you need to do is get in touch with the relevant people and let them know of the change. Some of the common people you have to contact include lawyers, healthcare providers, insurance companies, creditors, shopping websites, subscription services, and social security administration.
You might have to log into websites and update your information, while others will change the details via phone or email.
Strive to fit in
There is no way you will enjoy your stay in the assisted living facility if you don’t work at fitting in. As soon as you get there, get to know the other residents. This will help you know the characters of the different people and help you find a loyal friend.
You also should get involved with community events and activities such as shopping, going to the movies, and others. If the facility has a club such as a singing club, book club, gardening club, card-playing club, or any other club, join.
Joining an assisted living community doesn’t mean that you should cut ties with the outside world. Now and then, call your loved ones and know how they are doing. You also should encourage them to visit you so that you can spend quality time together.
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