Key Takeaways
- Plan strategically and manage tasks remotely. Identify which parts of the move can be handled online, such as budgeting, scheduling, and coordinating utilities, and which require in-person attention. Planning at least two visits helps ensure important tasks, from downsizing to settling in, are completed smoothly.
- Build a reliable support team and stay organized. Enlist local family, friends, neighbors, and professionals to handle tasks on the ground. Use a shared checklist, timeline, and document folder to keep everyone informed and ensure the move stays on track.
- Prioritize your parent’s well-being and continuity of care. Involve your parent in decisions, address their emotional concerns about leaving home, and coordinate their medical records, prescriptions, and new healthcare providers. A successful move should protect their health, comfort, and peace of mind.
Helping an older parent move into a new home is difficult when you can’t be there in person. However, it’s a common challenge for many families, as children often relocate to new cities, far from where they grew up. Thankfully, there are several resources designed to help long-distance caregivers coordinate moves and assist their loved ones. If you’re helping a parent manage their relocation from a distance, this short guide will explain the best way to keep everything on track.
Decide What Can and Can’t Be Done Remotely
Make two lists: what can be done remotely vs. in-person. Remote tasks typically include:
- Vetting Moving Companies
- Budgeting
- Scheduling
- Setting Up and Disconnecting Utilities
- Arranging Donation Pickups and Junk Removal
- Changing Mailing Addresses
- Updating Subscriptions
- Organizing Healthcare
Tasks that need to be handled in-person:
- Touring Your Parent’s New Home
- Sorting and Downsizing Their Belongings
- Packing Household Goods
- Preparing Furniture
- Loading the Moving Truck
- Unpacking and Setup
- Cleaning Your Parent’s Old Home
Once you understand which projects require your physical presence, you can use your time more effectively. Caregivers are often surprised how much they can accomplish remotely, allowing them to balance their parent’s needs with other work and family commitments, while also saving money on flights and road trips.
Create an On-the-Ground Team
Not every task requires your personal supervision. Many jobs can be delegated to friends, neighbors, and professionals. Make sure you partner with someone responsible, who can act as your point of contact for any jobs you aren’t able to handle. These might include:
- Finding a New Residence. A real estate agent can help your parent find a home that fits their budget and lifestyle. If they require daily support, an aging life care manager can suggest retirement communities or assisted living centers where they might be more comfortable.
- Handling the Heavy Lifting. Packing belongings, lifting boxes and carrying furniture is hard work. A full-service moving company like North American Van Lines can help organize, transport, and set up your parent’s belongings. Our agents act as designated coordinators for many of our clients, ensuring that everything runs smoothly on moving day.
- Medical and Financial Appointments. In many cases, transferring care, securing power of attorney, and setting up payments can be done remotely. However, some healthcare providers require new patients to meet their staff, while a few legal and financial institutions require clients to present and authorize documents personally.
Reach out to your parent’s friends and neighbors, to see if they have time to lend a hand. If you have any family in the area, ask them to help as well. In addition to realtors, care managers, and moving agents, there are also medical companions who can accompany your parents to their appointments. Building a network ensures you have someone who can step in when something unexpected comes up.
Create a Centralized Checklist and Timeline
To make sure everyone is on the same page, create a checklist and calendar and send them to your parent and the key members of your moving team. Start early, to make sure everyone has time to plan and prepare. If you’re not sure where to begin, use the sample calendar below as a template.
- 6–8 Weeks Before. Start planning. Finalize details on your parent’s new home, then select a moving date, set your budget, and contact movers for estimates.
- 4–6 Weeks Before. Sign your moving contract and start sorting belongings. Reach out to junk or donation services to arrange pickup of unwanted items.
- 2–3 Weeks Before. Set up utilities, update your parent’s address with the post office and service providers, and coordinate medical records and ongoing care, as needed. Finish packing nonessential items.
- 1 Week Before. Contact your movers to confirm moving-day details. Pack essential items such as clothes, medications, and important documents. Create a first-night bag with extra clothing and toiletries, to ensure they have easy access to basic necessities during the unpacking process.
- Moving Day. Make sure your parent is comfortable and informed while you oversee the move. When you reach their new home, prioritize setting up essential areas like the bedroom and bathroom.
- First Week After. Unpack the remaining rooms of the house. Ensure care arrangements are in place and address any concerns your parent may have as they settle in.
Save the document in a shared folder, so it can be accessed by anyone at any time. Add other important documents as you receive them (moving estimates, medical records, utility contracts, etc.). That way, if you ask somebody to handle an issue for you, they’ll know exactly where to find the relevant paperwork.
Contact Their Doctor
Ensuring continuity of care is important for seniors, especially ones dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes or arthritis. If you’re not on your parent’s account, ask them to add you so you can help them manage their treatment during the move. If they’re switching physicians because of the move, request a copy of your parent’s medical records and send them to their new provider.
Double check their prescriptions as well. You want a thirty day supply so they won’t miss a dose while they’re settling into their new home. While you’re talking to the staff at the new doctor’s office, schedule an in-take appointment as well, if they require one.
Plan At Least Two In-Person Trips
Planning a move as a long-distance caregiver normally requires at least two in-person visits, though you might need more, depending on your situation. While they’re a chance to iron out logistical issues, their primary goal is to help your parent:
- Downsize. Visit your parent before the move to decide what to do with their heirlooms, valuables, and sentimental items. It’s a chance to bond while ensuring their most important belongings are taken care of, whether that means packing them for the trip, donating them to charity, or passing them down to a friend or relative.
- Move. Arrive 1-2 days before the move and stay a few days after, so you can finalize plans and supervise the relocation team. Most importantly, make sure your parent’s new home is set up and they’re adjusting well to their new surroundings.
Building an on-the-ground team helps you get the most out of these trips. Instead of worrying about schedules, coordination, and other administrative details, you can focus on your parent’s comfort and peace of mind.
Check In Regularly
Finally, make sure your parent is part of every decision. Their priorities, preferences, and concerns should guide all the choices being made, from selecting a new home to deciding what to bring along. Respecting their input helps ensure the move reflects their needs and supports their independence.
Keep in mind that moving from a longtime home involves more than practical concerns. It can bring mixed emotions as well, so take time to ask your parent about what they’re feeling, what matters most to them, and what questions they may have. Remind them of the benefits of relocating but don’t shy away from acknowledging what they’re leaving behind. Above all, approach the move as a partnership, giving your parent the information, time, and support they need to make informed decisions and feel confident about this next chapter.
A Smarter Way to Move
North American’s Signature Moves provides relocation services geared specifically towards seniors. Backed by more than 95 years of experience, our relocation teams can streamline every aspect of your parent’s move. From planning to packing to transportation and set up, we make every step feel effortless with comprehensive support and integrated services for home sale, equity planning, tax considerations, and estate coordination. Contact us today for a free quote!