Moving can be stressful for anyone, but it is particularly stressful for seniors. On top of hiring movers, packing, and setting up a new home, there is the emotional toll of leaving a house the senior may have lived in for decades. If a move seems overwhelming, a “senior move manager” may be able to help.
Senior move managers are a new profession dedicated to helping the elderly with all the emotional and physical aspects of moving. The tasks a move manager can assist with include developing a plan for the move, sorting through belongings, arranging the sale or donation of unwanted items, packing, hiring and overseeing movers, drawing up floor plans of the new home to help plan the new space, unpacking and setting up the new home, and helping to prepare the old home for sale.
Move managers can also help seniors who plan to stay in their own homes but need assistance organizing their homes to allow them to age in place. Move managers often have backgrounds in gerontology, social work, health care, nursing, or psychology. Some charge an hourly fee and some charge a flat rate. In addition, if just a little extra help is needed, it may be possible to hire a manager to assist with just one part of a move (such as packing) rather than an entire move.
The National Association of Senior Move Managers offers a referral network of nearly 500 providers throughout North America. Its members must provide references and prove they have insurance. To find a member near you, call 877-606-2766 or visit www.nasmm.org. Estate Sales Specialists is a local Santa Clarita Valley company that assists in the liquidation of unwanted items by organizing and conducting a garage sale. Their commission is one-third of the proceeds from the sale. Ginny Bowman is the owner. Estate Sales Specialists can be reached at 661-313-2462.
Ms. MacDonald’s practice is limited to Estate Planning, Probate, Conservatorships, Elder Law and Trust Administration. Ms. MacDonald maintains her practice in the Santa Clarita Valley at 25115 Avenue Stanford, Suite B-124 in Valencia, California. She can be reached at 661-294-6464.