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The Ultimate Checklist for Moving Parents to Assisted Living

February 26, 2021

Moving to an assisted living facility in Kansas City makes sense in terms of safety and security. If your family has chosen assisted living in Olathe at Santa Marta, you can be confident of what awaits. We provide a lifestyle that maximizes your parents’ independence, helps them stay in control of the activities of daily living, and provides new opportunities for their personal and spiritual growth. To minimize the stress of this move and focus on what’s ahead, these checklists for moving to assisted living will smooth the way.

Downsizing Checklist for Moving Parents to an Assisted Living Facility

Start Early – Resist the natural tendency to procrastinate. This will cause more stress for you and your aging parents in the long run. Look at their calendar and draw a big circle around the moving date to remind them of what they’re working toward. Then count backwards from that date, assigning tasks each week and marking them off the checklist as they’re completed.
Store Valuables – Gather your parents’ important financial, medical, and legal documents in one place. Paperwork like this can easily be misplaced or accidentally thrown out during a move. Store these at your home or rent a safety deposit box. Valuable, irreplaceable items should also be stored.
Sort Items – Using a stack of sticky notes in different colors, help mom and dad tag items to keep, sell, donate or throw away. Because we all get emotionally attached to possessions and have difficulty being objective, this is a great task to help them with making these decisions. In general, if they haven’t used an item in the last year, they’re probably not going to miss it.
Plan Ahead – Check out the storage at your parents’ new assisted living residence and think about where essential items may fit. It helps to have a rough idea of where everything will go. When you and your parents begin packing boxes, make sure you label them accordingly.

Timing Checklists for Moving to Assisted Living Facility

Use this to plan the tasks on your parents’ calendar and your mobile device.

2 Months Ahead

Finalize choice of assisted living community
Help choose floor plan of new residence
Pick a moving date
Review their home insurance policy if needed
Schedule a moving company
Order packing and moving supplies
Begin downsizing
Fill out USPS change of address paperwork
Redirect their magazine and newspaper subscriptions

1 Month Ahead

Notify their physician of the relocation to assisted living care; ask for referrals if needed
Notify their change of address for insurance, credit card companies, social security, state vehicle registration, state and federal tax bureau, vet, bank
Have new checks printed with their new address
Schedule disconnection of utilities
Begin packing, one room at a time
Label packed boxes with room and contents
Put their valuable items into storage

1 to 2 Weeks Ahead

Call movers to confirm details
Continue to downsize and pack
Help pack their suitcase for the first week at the community
Make sure all their prescriptions are filled
Photograph furniture and note any damage on inventory sheet
Dispose of trash and hazardous waste
Take donation items to charity

2 to 4 Days Ahead

Finish packing up their household items
Help pack a small box of necessities including medication, pet food and pet bowl, a hammer, screwdriver, tape, markers, etc.
Call ahead to the assisted living facility to check there’s access to parking and utilities will be turned on for them

Moving Day

Remove their bedding and pillows from beds
Take movers through your parents’ house and inform them of what to do
Check each room for items that were missed

Packing Checklist for Moving to an Assisted Living Facility

Here’s a basic packing list to help you move your parents to assisted living. Feel free to add or delete items, depending on their new abode.

Room	Bring	Don’t Bring
Bedroom	Bed, nightstand, dresser, table lamps, bedding, curtains	Oversized headboard, dresser or seating
Living room	Compact seating and tables, wall décor, curtains, lamps, clock, treasured items for display	Oversized or large furniture pieces, furniture with sharp or protruding edges, fragile items, lamps with frayed or trailing cords, throw/area rugs that are a tripping hazard, large collections of knickknacks. Avoid chairs on wheels.
Kitchen	Compact table or drop-leaf table, chairs, microwave and fridge (if not provided), everyday dishes and silverware, cooking utensils including pots, pans and kitchen tools, small kitchen appliances, a few serving pieces, a trash can	Large or standard-size dining table; formal china; worn, broken or mismatched dishes, plates or silverware; unsafe or old electrical appliances; heavy serving dishes. Discard or give away multiples of most things.
Bathroom	Clean towels and washcloths, non-slip bath mats, shower curtain and rod (if needed), personal toiletries and bathroom appliances such as a hairdryer, shaver, etc., personal toiletries and medications	Torn or stained towels, mats without a non-slip backing, cracked hand mirrors, unsafe appliances such as small heaters, unused or expired personal toiletries and medications
Closets	Clean clothing and underclothes, pajamas, swimsuit, robe, weather appropriate outerwear and socks, comfortable non-slip footwear, hangers	Torn, frayed or stained clothing items. Items that are more than a few years old. Dirty or ill-fitting shoes. Seldom-worn costume jewelry.
Household items	Cleaning supplies including dish soap, sponges and drying towels. Window, bathroom and toilet cleaner. Laundry basket and detergents. Dishwasher pods (if needed). Stick or hand-held vacuum and dusting cloths.	Anything highly corrosive, toxic or expired. Discard any multiples or containers with just a little of the contents left.
Other items	Television; music system; computer or tablet; tool kit; hobby supplies such as paints, craft materials, golf clubs, bowling ball	Very heavy or old television or music systems that don’t fully function. Large collections of craft supplies. Multiples of sporting items or tools. Anything that’s been stored for a long time and unused.

Before They Move

Remember that calendar you circled for your parents with the move date? Add more circles for them to the days after they move, this time reminding them to call you or other family members or friends to stay in touch. These pleasant milestones will give them something to look forward to as they overcome feelings of homesickness and adjust to their new environment.

After They Move

It will take time for the new home and community to feel like “home.” They should dedicate a few hours each day to unpack and enjoy the living space, but also take advantage of the activities beyond the door. Encourage them to introduce themselves to their neighbors, and consider accompanying them to an event or activity until they feel comfortable doing this on their own.

At Santa Marta, our assisted living services in Olathe, KS, near Overland Park. are open to all area seniors with no entrance fee. We offer private one- and two-bedroom assisted living apartments in a variety of floor plans. These spacious homes are steps away from the heart of our vibrant community, and near amenities such as the fitness center, pool and salon. To learn more about how we can support you in ensuring your parents’ well-being, contact us today.