Making the Move: Tips for transitioning to senior community life

By Brad Ziegler

Moving to a new residence is always difficult, but when combined with major downsizing and perhaps an illness or the loss of a spouse, it can be downright traumatic.

“It’s like a divorce or a death to your old way of life,” says Vicki Saviano, who recently went through the process of moving from her home into an independent living unit at Armour Oaks in the Waldo area.

After her spouse died a couple of years ago, Saviano took some time and then began investigating independent living options, starting with senior communities where some of her friends resided. She also researched the communities online before visiting. She listed the top factors in her decision: the initial buy-in amount, any additional fees required, the monthly rent amount and the amenities automatically included.

Next she began the challenging process of downsizing and disposing of things that wouldn’t fit into her new apartment. “I should have started that process sooner!” she said. “My son and I considered renting a dumpster and having friends help. We also priced junk hauling companies. Both were expensive. We ended up recycling some things and donating many household furnishings.”

Ted Cox faced the same situation when he moved from his 2,000-square-foot home in Overland Park to a 700-square-foot apartment at Kingswood Senior Living Community earlier this year. “Downsizing is much harder than I thought it would be,” he shared. “You just don’t have room for everything and while much of it wasn’t worth that much, it had a lot of sentimental value for me.”

Cox also considered several options before selecting Kingswood as his new home. Some were more expensive than he wanted to pay for, and others were more physically spread out and less personal. “The number one factor in my decision was the friendliness of the people, both the staff and the residents,” he said. “There are a lot of really nice people here and I have made lots of friends since moving in.”

Seniors like Saviano and Cox who are ready to move can find a variety of resources to help them determine the level of care they need and specific facilities that are available. For-profit companies like A Place for Mom can provide personalized recommendations for applicants at no cost and assist with tours of identified facilities and logistical details leading up to the day of the move.

The local Area Agency on Aging also can provide helpful assistance to those seeking information about senior living facilities in the area, plus there are federal government resources such as Medicare’s Care Compare Tool that can help find and compare facilities. Recommendations by personal physicians, friends and family members also can be helpful.

Once a decision is made about a senior’s next residence, the process of getting organized for the move needs to be undertaken. The National Council on Aging provides a helpful Checklist for Moving to Assisted Living that helps older adults and caregivers stay organized and know what to expect as they move through the process. This checklist provides guidance for downsizing, moving and terminating services such as utilities no longer needed at the former residence and establishing services needed at the new location.

Recommendations for the actual move, health and medical considerations, pre-move paperwork with the new facility and legal and financial matters are also part of this checklist which can be found on their website at ncoa.org.

Once a move is accomplished, experts caution there will likely be an adjustment period. Cox was not completely happy about his new living situation initially, and when he spoke to staff members about it, they suggested he get more involved in the activities offered at Kingswood. He began attending exercise classes and spending more time in the swimming pool. He also began actively engaging with his fellow residents, speaking to people he hadn’t yet met and sitting with others in the dining room at meal time.

“I began to really enjoy the opportunity to interact with more people than I had been able to when I was living alone in my home,” he admitted. “My fellow residents are what I like most about living here. I would hate to ever move.”

Saviano appreciated the opportunity that resident meetings and advisory councils provide to give input to staff and feedback on issues needing improvement. She found a fellow resident who agreed with her that “moving sucks the soul out of you” and the resident manager offered her grace for the 90 days or so that she would be “in recovery” after her move.

“There is a peace in knowing I am here,” she admitted. “And I am hoping to see the floor by Thanksgiving!”