Nicki Cawood, Author at CURLY AND CANDID

Let’s face it, moving house is never going to be stress-free. No matter what the circumstances of your house move are, it’s still a huge change in your life and requires a lot of work. Unfortunately, your house move might not go as smoothly as you’d like, which only dials up the stress. There are things you can do to reduce the stress of moving.

But before you despair, stop and think for a minute. It is possible to reduce the stress of a house move and to get it done and over with so that you can settle in as soon as possible. All it takes is a little planning.

Reduce the Stress of Moving House: Declutter

One of the hidden blessings of moving is that it gives you a good reason to finally declutter the house. Families generate stuff. Some of this accumulated stuff is useful or has some other value, but sometimes it just takes up space and you never get round to clearing it out.

With a house move, you have the perfect opportunity to finally get rid of everything that you don’t need. If you get the decluttering started before you start packing, then it’s far easier to get sorted when the time comes. This means that you don’t have to worry about shipping it to your new home, but can either sell it, donate, recycle, or throw out anything you don’t need.

Reduce the Stress of Moving House: Pack Early

Speaking of decluttering, you might as well start packing while you’re sorting through all your stuff. The sooner you start, the less stressful it’ll be when you come to the packing and moving in earnest.

Start with things that you don’t need, such as decorative items, books, or extra clothes. There are a few ways to go about this. You can work room by room, which helps you to keep everything more organized. Or you can aim to pack a box or so a day, regardless of where it comes from.

Regardless of the order of packing, it’s best to sort everything by room and label the box and container. This way, when you’re unpacking, you can just put the box labelled “kitchen” in your new kitchen without having to sort through a dozen boxes.

Some people choose to put their packed boxes and furniture in a self storage unit. This gets it out of the way and keeps it safe. Self-storage is also really helpful if you aren’t able to immediately move into a new home, perhaps because it needs work.

Reduce the Stress of Moving House: Get Help

Many hands make light work, or so they say. This is especially true when it comes to moving house. If you have some helpers, then the task suddenly becomes far more manageable and it’s plausible to get everything done in a day.

Some people rope in some willing, or not so willing, volunteers among their friends and family. But you could also consider a professional removal company, as they can more easily move larger furniture that can’t fit into an ordinary car or van.

Once your items are in your home, you can start unpacking and relax in no time.

Give Your Elderly Parents The Best Quality Of Life: Keep Them Sociable

First, you need to make sure that your elderly parents do continue to socialise. This is particularly important for a widowed elderly parent as they may not have anyone to talk to for a lot of the day. You might want to think about exploring social groups that they can join or simply equipping them with the right tech so that they can keep in touch with people more easily.

Recognise The Signs

You do need to make sure that you are keeping watch for signs that your parents are experiencing issues with their mental or physical health. Early symptoms of dementia can present themselves ten years before there are any signs of cognitive decline. This could include a loss of smell or zoning out of conversations. This will seem as though they are staring into the distance before they snap back to what you are speaking about.

Regardless of whether it’s a mental or physical health issue, an early diagnosis will often lead to a better prognosis.

Give Your Elderly Parents The Best Quality Of Life: Be Honest About Their Needs

If you want your elderly parents to have the best quality of life, you always need to be honest about what they need from you and the right support that they require. For instance, your elderly parent could be having mobility issues or they might even have experienced cognitive decline. If that’s the case, then it could be time to think about whether they can continue to live independently or if a care home would provide more benefits. There are countless care homes to choose from but a care home broker can help you make the right decision for their needs as well as their budget.

Give Your Elderly Parents The Best Quality Of Life: Include Them

Finally, you should make sure that you are taking steps to include them in different activities. While it’s important that you do continue to live your own life, you should think about planning options such as family trips and other possibilities that you can share together. You might want to make sure that you invite them for seasonal celebrations. Don’t let them feel excluded or separated from you or the rest of your extended family.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you can take to ensure that your elderly parents do get the best quality of life in their later years. There are likely going to be some difficult decisions on the horizon for you and your parents. But by approaching the situation the right way, you can find a scenario that does provide the long-term benefits that they need.