Preparing for a Move to Senior Living with Heritage Estates

Oct 6, Alissa Sauer

Heritage Estates in Livermore, California, offers independent living and assisted living services for seniors. We understand that deciding to move to senior living is a complex decision and one that should not be taken lightly. The team at Heritage Estates is here to help walk you through every step along the way! Take a closer look at how rightsizing, rather than downsizing, can help you simplify your space and prepare you for your next chapter. To learn more, join Heritage Estates for our downsizing and rightsizing seminar on October 21, 2022, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. 

Rightsizing vs. Downsizing: What’s the Difference?

After you decide to move into a senior living community, one of the first things you will have to do is decide what should come with you to your new home. It’s more about taking the right things than taking fewer things. Rightsizing is the process of going through your belongings and thoughtfully and intentionally deciding what will stay in your life and what will move on. It can be an emotional process, but it can also be very therapeutic and freeing as you picture what life looks like after your move. These steps can help you rightsize your belongings, simplifying your move and your new space.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Move to Senior Living

1. Grab a friend.

We think everything is better with a friend. Going through your possessions with a friend or family member can help make your decision process feel less overwhelming. It can also be fun to relive memories certain belongings stir up. It brings a little bit of fun to a big process!

2. Organize one room at a time.

Instead of organizing by category, try organizing by room. Instead of gathering all books and going through them, organize the books in the office with the office belongings and leave the books in the bedroom until you get to the bedroom. It can be a good idea to start with larger spaces but fewer belongings. For example, the living room is a larger space, but there are fewer belongings than a garage. This can improve feelings of productivity and encourage you to keep going instead of feeling overwhelmed by large spaces with a lot of items.

3. Prioritize your space.

Ask your future community for a floor plan with dimensions for each room in your apartment. Take measurements and prioritize your furniture and belongings. Your family dining room table may be a ‘must take,’ but that may mean you are leaving the baker’s rack. Think through what you want to bring and why you want to bring it.

4. Be creative with your space.

Not every item has to stay with you for you to retain the memory of that item. If you kept every picture your child drew in elementary school, it might be time to consolidate those into your favorite, pass them on to her, or take photos of them and put them in a scrapbook. Maybe some of your books could be donated, and you could get digital versions of your favorites.

5. Ask for help.

This is a big process, and we know it can feel overwhelming to even get started. The team at Heritage Estates is here to help. We have helped other seniors and their families make a move into our community, and we know how to do it well.

Join Heritage Estates for our downsizing and rightsizing seminar on October 21, 2022, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. We will discuss how you can make your new apartment feel like home with fewer possessions. Call us at  (925)373-3636 to reserve your spot today! Space is limited.