Picture this: you may be ready for the downsize, but your loved one is struggling. What’s more, knowing what to include in an assisted living move-in checklist can be dizzying.
Families and seniors: we understand. Packing for a move this monumental can be challenging.
Fortunately, at Village Green, we’ve moved hundreds of family members with diverse long-term care needs to make the transition from home care to assisted living care.
Wondering what’s essential for a move this large? Join us!
In this article, we’ll cover:
- 10 quick tips to help downsize for an assisted living move-in
- A detailed breakdown of how to approach an assisted living move-in
- What to expect two months, one month, and one week before move-in day
- Pro tips from assisted living facilities on navigating moving to an assisted living facility.
10 tips to help downsize for an assisted living move-in
| 1. Seek out help from loved ones 2. Get ready for design 3. Try the four-box system 4. Approach move-in day with sensitivity 5. Be firm about reducing duplicate items 6. Factor in lifestyle into the move-in 7. Maintain positive energy throughout the move 8. Shoot for progress — not perfection 9. Use family and friends’ homes for storage space 10. Take pictures of the place before you go |
Our assisted living checklist for senior living
Before moving into an assisted living community, you’ll want to avoid the temptation to bring everything with you. Many assisted living communities will provide dimensions of their floor plans so you’ll have a feel of what items will fit the new space.
When you have a checklist, making plans is much more simple. Here’s our moving to assisted living checklist for smaller-scale living in an assisted living facility.
- Furniture: Beds, side tables and lamps, dressers, small sofas, recliners, chairs, tables, and desks
- Décor: cherished plants, pictures, heirlooms, books, mirrors, houseware, storage boxes, and clocks
- Utensils, kitchen supplies, and household repair supplies: Kitchen supplies, cutlery, towels, linens, hangers, tool kits, cleaning supplies, and a selection of plates, cups, bowls, and mugs for dining
- Entertainment items: television, computers, tablet devices, chargers, audio speaker systems, books, puzzles, hobby supplies, and more
- Personal items: toiletries, over-the-counter prescription medications, purses, sentimental jewelry or heirlooms, eyeglasses, hearing aids, assisted walking devices, and legal paperwork. You’ll want to keep copies of all paperwork with a loved one in case anything happens to the paperwork in the assisted living facility.
- Clothing: shirts and pants, light sweaters and sweatshirts, rain jackets and snow jackets, cold-weather clothing (such as hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens), underwear and socks, bedtime clothing (such as pajamas, robes, and slippers), and comfortable shoes
- Pet-friendly items: food and water bowls, crates and litter boxes, collars and leashes, pet beds and blankets, and any medication a furry friend may need.
What not to pack with your move-in
Equally as important as what to include is what not to include when moving to assisted living. As part of your assisted living moving checklist, make sure that you don’t pack the following when moving to a new assisted living community:
- Oversized items (including furniture, chairs, or tables)
- Furnishings that need repair
- Decorative items that might impede ambulation
- Stained clothing needing repairing
- Chairs with wheels or without armrests (many facilities have wheelchairs at the ready for residents)
- Collectible items in excess
- Large kitchen appliances
- Large boxes of stored items
- Outdoor furniture (at our community, we have a beautiful central courtyard, hence the consideration to forgo outdoor furniture)
Though downsizing might be challenging, as you help move into your loved one’s new home, being adamant about downsizing will pay dividends when your loved one is living in peace and comfort in their new living quarters. And don’t forget: you can always enlist the help of the staff at your loved one’s new community.
Best practices for effective downsizing for assisted living move-ins
If and when the time comes to move a loved one into assisted living, you can help reduce the stress of moving by keeping the following principles in mind:
- Seek out help from loved ones: ask help with moving, break the move down into manageable chunks, and enlist a third opinion on whether to keep, discard, or donate questionable items.
- Design the new space: free up space and avoid clutter where possible. Consider multi-functional furniture, and keeping pathways clear for assistive walking devices like walkers and wheelchairs.
- Try the four-box system: speaking of donations, take four boxes and label them “keep,” “trash,” “donate,” and “sell.” Involve your loved one as you go through the decision-making process, but be patient. Consider selling items that aren’t needed, and keep a box for treasured items you don’t want to lose.
- Be sensitive to your loved one’s needs: remember that many of the items your loved one is having a tough time parting ways with hold memories that hold significant meaning to your loved one. Keep the move-in process moving, but do keep in mind their attachments to these items that, in their mind, transcend time and space.
- Do your best to eliminate duplicate items: as you decide what, consider parting ways with duplicate items.
- Factor into account your loved one’s lifestyle: your loved one should be able to live the lifestyle they’re accustomed to in their old home. Before moving into an assisted living facility, keep in mind which items will allow your loved one to live their current lifestyle to the best of their abilities.
- Keep the energy positive: when planning a move, enjoying the journey can sometimes get lost in the pursuit of finishing the move. As your loved one and you continue the packing and downsizing process, allow space and time for them to share stories about the items they’re considering. You may even want to record their stories on paper, on video, or elsewhere to preserve these special memories. In short, keep the mood light, positive, and enjoyable.
- Tackle the move one room at a time: to make the process more manageable, you can help your loved one focus on the move-in process room by room.
- Speaking of homes, make use of your family and friends: assisted living facilities often have limited storage space. Consider leaning on family, friends, or storage facilities to store any extra items that won’t fit in the assisted living space.
- Don’t forget to take pictures: Parting ways can be tough when it comes time for the actual move. Consider taking pictures and making a scrapbook of cherished places in the home. A scrapbook may even make a thoughtful housewarming gift for your loved one, knowing that they’ll always have pictures to keep the flames of the memory alive and well.
2 Months before moving to assisted living
Another way of looking at a move-in packing list is by breaking down what’s needed in the months and weeks before a loved one’s move.
Two months before moving to an assisted living facility, you may be at the point where you haven’t made a final selection of where you want your loved one to move.
If you haven’t already, you’ll want to be looking for a new facility for the move. Decide which order you’ll tackle moving items from your loved one’s existing rooms, who will help you declutter, and any family members who will help you store items.
Worth noting is any family members who will be moving into a new home, who just married, or who are leaving for college. Your loved one may be more at peace with parting ways with their treasured valuables if they know they’ll find a home in a newlywed starter home or in an incoming college student’s apartment.
1 Month before moving to assisted living
At the one-month mark, you’ve likely secured an assisted living or memory care community, and eliminated any duplicates, donated oversized furniture, and parted ways with unneeded items.
With knowledge of what your loved one’s new living arrangements look and feel like, you can reach out to friends and family to help with the move. Friends and family can help downsize and move from room to room and make a list of what to bring to your loved one’s new home.
Moving sales, giveaway parties, donation pick-ups, and more: they’re all fair game when deciding what your love will and won’t need.
One month before moving to assisted living is a great time to order moving materials to pack items. If you don’t have a way to move large items, we recommend looking into moving companies that can help with transporting large items come moving day.
If you haven’t already, make sure to have any important financial and legal documents in safekeeping. During this period, you may also want to prepare nutritious foods that don’t need much refrigeration.
Doing so will help you pack up larger appliances as needed.
1 Week before moving your loved one to assisted living
Congratulations! You’ve finished packing and purging the items for your loved one’s new living space.
About one week before move-in day, reach out to utility service providers — like electricity, trash, gas, internet, and cable providers — to notify them of your loved one’s move.
If selling the home, consider doing a deep clean of the home. Take any final pictures of the home that won’t travel with your loved one to their new senior living community.
Pictures of fireplaces, childhood height markers on door frames, or spaces that hold fond memories are all fair game. As the time comes closer to move-in day, checking in with your loved one is of utmost importance.
Your loved one may be feeling anxious, excited, depressed, fearful, or all of the above. In the week leading up to moving day, make sure that your loved one is as comfortable as possible. Make sure they have everything they need to make a successful transition to their new assisted living apartment.
Did you know?
Did you know that as of three years ago, 29,400 assisted living communities (Statista, 2024) existed in the USA? We’ve pivoted with the demand for assisted living, yet maintained an intimate atmosphere of quality care throughout the years.
We offer smaller staff-to-resident ratios to meet our residents’ needs. Before moving into an assisted living facility, ask about their staff’s credentials and patient care model — including the staff-to-resident ratio.
To see what personalized care looks like in an assisted living community, you’re invited to explore our photo gallery.
Pro tip: Contact assisted living communities for expert move-in advice
Should you have any questions about what to bring or leave behind, contact your new assisted living facility staff.
The caregivers at an assisted living community are trained and credentialed to provide support to families and their loved ones.
Whether you need help choosing an assisted living facility — or help on move-in day — don’t hesitate to reach out to our senior living staff.
We’d be happy to walk you through the ins and outs of all things assisted living move-ins. Until then, be well, and we look forward to chatting with you soon.
