Tips for a smooth move

Measure the new apartment and all existing furniture and make up a floorplan for each room well before moving. Take stock of all room dimensions and location of windows, outlets and doors. This will help determine what furniture and items can be taken and what needs to be sold or given away beforehand and will make the moving process itself go faster.

Take stock of all wall art, photos and other framed pieces and determine what can fit and where it will hang in the new place. Dispose of the rest. This way you can quickly personalize the new apartment to make you or your loved one more quickly feel at home.

Be conscious of obstacles. Seniors often have mobility issues and a fall can be devastating. Make sure there is plenty of clearance in all rooms. Clutter can be dangerous. Especially during the moving process be aware of boxes left in places where they can be tripped over.

If possible, find a safe and comfortable place for your loved one to stay during the actual move. Furnish, organize and decorate before they move in so that when they arrive in their new place for the first time they are comfortable and surrounded by familiar objects.

In deciding what to keep and what to give away, ask the question, what is really needed for the new life? If the move is to assisted living, meals are provided, so how much cooking or baking will you or your loved one being doing? Keep for the kitchen just what will be needed and used. The same for bathroom toiletries and clothing.

Letting go of a lifetime of objects can be difficult and emotionally painful. Finding a good home for possessions can ease the loss and anxiety. Put thought and care into what objects go where. Find a friend or relative who will cherish an heirloom or collectible. Consult experts. Don't just have a garage sale or dump things at the nearest thrift shop. Find a friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor or friend of a friend who can really use something. If there are valuables that family members don't want, consult appraisers and consider consignment, putting them up for auction or contracting with an estate sale company.

Take photos of cherished objects and write down their history or the story behind them before giving them away. Let the senior keep a copy in remembrance and send the second copy with the object to its new owner so the story doesn't get lost in time.

For tips on how to fairly disperse personal possessions, check out "Who Gets Grandma's Pie Plate" by Marlene Stum, published by the University of Minnesota Extension. It is available on Amazon.com for $11.25.

Senior relocation specialists: Offer a full range of services to assist people in downsizing, including designing a floor plan for furniture, helping find new furniture, coordinating phone and mail, scheduling moving and overseeing packing and moving, unpacking and organizing, making beds, hanging artwork, connecting stereos, TVs and computers, disposing of unwanted items, coordinating the allocation of belongings to distant family members and more.

Betsy Grodin at Moving Matters: 322-0620 or movingmatters2@yahoo.com.

Mary Jago at Managed Moves: 327-9070 or mlj@homedownsizing.com.