What Senior Wants to Leave Their Home? 

“I want to stay in my home”. 

We have heard this often before COVID-19 and we hear it even more now.

We all continue to age and sometimes things happen and we have to leave a home of many years. What if a move to a long term care facility or assisted living needed to happen suddenly for yourself or a loved one? For that reason, it’s always good to be prepared and know what is out there for senior living options.

What is Home?

It is also wise to think about what makes home home?  Home can be wherever you are.   It’s the memories and things in your home, your life up to this point that has made your home home.   Yes, it may be the view of the sunset over the lake in your back yard that you will miss but you can still capture that feeling when you look at a picture.  And, home is often shared with someone else.   Leaving your home when you share the experience with someone else, your spouse for example is often an easier task and will be freeing for both of you.

The “Stuff” Makes a Move Overwhelming

Below is a process to help you think about what things make home home for you.

• Think about the things in your home that make your home feel special.
•  If you had to escape your home in the next 24-hours and could take your favorite and most treasured things that fit in a small travel trailer, what would they be? Write them down.
• Now, if you had more time to prepare for leaving your home say, 30-60 days, what are the important “things”  you won’t take but want to donate or give away.  Make a list of those things.
• The rest of the “stuff” isn’t really that important is it?  Don’t focus on it. Let it go and gradually work to dispose of it.

So often after people move to senior living, they wish they would have done it sooner.  Getting out of a house with a lot of stuff is freeing.   No more worries about what to do with it.  Unfortunately, I have seen the situation where people wait too long.  The stuff and the process of moving becomes so overwhelming that they stay put.   This can be detrimental when the house is not safe for them because of stairs or when they aren’t driving and they become isolated.

Our goal at Choice Connections is to guide you in narrowing the options to the “best choices” for your new home in a senior living option.  Once you consider what things are important to take to make home home, we’ll help you find the right one.