Help Elderly Family Members Move into a Retirement Home

(Newswire.net — October 19, 2017) Brisbane, QLD — This article is proudly brought to you by– Platinum Furniture Removals 

There are many reasons the transition from independent living to an aged care facility may happen to your loved one faster than expected. The wait lists for reputable retirement homes are growing longer and this often means that when the opportunity to nab a spot does crop up, elderly family members have only two or three days to make the move happen. Or, sometimes a medical incident can result in Aged Care Assessment Team determining that your relative’s current living situation is no longer safe, and that you’ll need to come up with an alternative arrangement when they leave hospital.

In this blog we’ve outlined some basic tips to turn what can be a tumultuous life change into a positive experience for your family.  

Start Sorting Early

Parting with decades of accumulated possessions takes time. The last thing you want to do is to force your family member to let go of years of memories in just a few days.

So, from the moment that your elderly family member expresses interest in moving into a retirement home or when you start to have concerns about their safety, it’s time to begin taking steps towards sorting through their possessions.

Doing this can be painful when elderly loved ones don’t know where to start, but they do know they simply cannot take everything they want with them. Sorting through items can, however, be a great bonding experience as you get a chance to hear the stories behind the treasured possessions.

Start small and work your way up to the big decisions. If there are any items that can’t be relocated you may wish to talk to other family members about taking on some of the excess stuff. It can be helpful for your elderly loved ones to know that their beloved possessions will stay in the family.

Scope Out the Unit

If you’ve chosen the retirement home and are just waiting for a spot to open up, take the time to get a feel for the layout of the place. You’ll need to know:

• The approximate size of a new place
• How accessible the units are to large vehicles like moving trucks
• Whether units come equipped with things like whitegoods or beds
• If the facility has rules governing when and how moves must be conducted

 

Budgeting & Paperwork

Setting aside some time to go through the budget and paperwork needed to move into an aged care facility is just as important as doing the physical moving.

Gather all of the necessary forms and try to get them signed in one or two sittings.

Or, if your family member isn’t up to the task of signing paperwork and allocating finances, it might be a good idea to see if they will grant you power of attorney.

With power of attorney, you’ll be able to listen to their wishes then act on their behalf when it comes to important moving tasks such as:

• Organising change of address forms
• Signing agreements with the aged care facility
• Allocating funds towards moving costs
• Setting up BPAYs and direct debits for ongoing costs

Starting again in a new home can be stressful, but it can also be an opportunity to bring your family togethe

 

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http://www.platinumfurnitureremovalistsbrisbane.com.au/removals-blog/

 

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