Assisting Older Adults with Downsizing and Relocation

As the Baby Boom generation retires, the US population aged 65 and over will jump nearly 80 percent. By 2030, seniors will account for 20 percent of the total US population.

A move may be in your future as you age. Many seniors retire to distant communities, often downsizing to smaller homes. Some retire to senior living communities. Older Americans may also need to move to assisted living or skilled nursing facilities as their health declines.

Change can be stressful even when the move is your idea. Downsizing may require parting with family heirlooms and other belongings you’ve accumulated over a lifetime. When ill health or reduced financial circumstances prompt the move, pain and fear can make the move even more taxing.

Since 1920, Herlihy Mayflower has helped more than 100,000 families cope with the stress of moving. We offer a full range of packing, moving and storage services to take the burden of moving off seniors and family members. No job is too big or too small. Some of our customers even hire us to move furniture around their houses! We also offer discounts on fixed-rate senior moves through Ohio’s Golden Buckeye program.

Tips for Planning Your Move

Here are some moving and packing tips for making senior moves as easy and stress-free as possible.

Take your time. When moving, it can be hard to decide what to keep, what to give to other family members, what to donate and what to throw away. Give yourself or your family members plenty of time to make these decisions.

Get organized. Assemble moving supplies like boxes, colored markers and packing paper before you get started. It’s helpful to sort belongings into a series of moving boxes or plastic bins. Make sure to mark each box on the top and sides for easy identification. You’ll need several categories of containers, such as:

• Separate boxes for each room in the new house or apartment.
• Containers for personal possessions to give to friends, children and grandchildren.
• Boxes for things that go to a storage facility, if you choose to keep some items in storage.
• Bags or boxes for donations to charity.
• Bags for items to be thrown away.

Pack carefully. Don’t risk damage to precious heirlooms and items that carry a lifetime of memories during transit. Follow our moving and packing tips. Or, engage our packing experts to box things up for you.

Get help. Whether you opt for a do-it-yourself move or want someone to handle everything from packing through delivery and unpacking, a professional moving company can help you streamline the moving process. Make sure to check out the mover’s qualifications and recommendations. Here are some tips for choosing a moving company.

Looking for a professional, reliable Ohio moving company offering senior moving services and Golden Buckeye Discounts? Contact us today to experience the Herlihy Moving & Storage difference. As one of Ohio’s oldest moving companies, we have moved more than 100,000 families and businesses within Ohio, across the United States, and around the world. We’re BBB accredited and Angie’s List approved. And, as a locally owned and top-rated agent of Mayflower Moving serving Chillicothe, Athens, and Columbus, Ohio, we have the resources to move you, no matter where you need to go.