Making the move Tips and thoughts for transitions to senior living communities

By Jane Turpin Moore

Making the move to a senior living community can be challenging, whether you’re the one preparing for a new home environment or a caregiver helping with the process.

Fortunately, many skilled and sympathetic people are employed at area residences catering to seniors so your accompanying questions and worries can be more easily resolved than might initially seem evident.

Finding the right fit

The first step is recognizing when it makes sense to transition from a private home or residence and into a residential community where meals, friends and services are more readily available in one spot.

Lisa Sandmann, Outreach and Sales Director at The Pillars of Mankato, has patience and helpful ideas galore.

One of her prime recommendations? Do advance research.

“It’s never too early,” said Sandmann, mentioning that the sooner one starts investigating the possibilities, the greater the chances of avoiding a stressful move necessitated by a crisis situation.

“Check out websites of various senior living communities, take tours and ask friends or relatives for referrals, even if you think it could be a year or two before you might move.

“And The Pillars [like most other area senior living communities] offers frequent open houses, so take those chances to visit, explore, ask questions, meet residents, observe the types of activities available and get a really good feel for what each community would be like.”

Considering the scale of a residence is also important, Sandmann advises.

“There are different-sized communities—The Pillars, with 118 apartments in all ranging from independent living to assisted living to 20 memory care apartments—is a larger setting, which is appealing to a lot of people,” Sandmann said.

“But a smaller community with less space to navigate might be more comfortable for some folks,” she added.

“It’s really about finding the right fit for you.”

The Pillars happens to welcome anyone 55 or older to live there independently, but the beauty of a progressive, “aging in place” living site is that residents can stay where they are and receive more care if and when the need gradually arises.

“We have a full array of assisted living services for any apartment with no need to move should someone need extra help,” said Sandmann.

And lest you think 55 to 60 seems young to relinquish the charms of a single-family home, consider the upsides to a community like The Pillars—especially after Minnesota’s recent bout of sub-zero temperatures and double-digit snowfalls.

“Living here means no more shoveling, mowing or writing utility checks,” said Sandmann. “We take care of it all, and housekeeping and dining options are available; you can contract for one to three chef-prepared, restaurant-style meals daily.

“And we also have an underground heated parking garage.”

Still, Sandmann recognizes that many people prefer to stay in private homes as long as they possibly can—which sometimes means they are more likely to require services upon arriving at The Pillars or to need assistance in packing when the time comes.

Sandmann recommends Caring Transitions, a relatively new Mankato senior relocation home that offers downsizing, decluttering and estate sales assistance throughout southern Minnesota.

“You will most likely need to downsize, and pick and choose the items that are most important to have with you,” said Sandmann.

“And making your new home an enjoyable, comfortable space is our goal.”

Caring Transitions can provide hands-on help with packing, sorting and unpacking upon arrival at one’s new location.

“They will bring in belongings, hang pictures on walls, make beds, put dishes in cupboards and have everything ready to go so a new resident can settle in after just one day,” Sandmann said.

“And Caring Transitions staff are considerate and compassionate and coordinate well with us.”

The Pillars staff itself is comprised of experienced, empathetic people who have worked in the field “a long time,” according to Sandmann, and are understanding about the challenges.

That’s true from the top down, since Executive Director Stacy Wihlm brings years of experience to her role as The Pillars’ leader, plus a background in social work and skills that date to her teen days as a CNA.

“And we assign new residents an ‘ambassador,’ a current resident willing to meet with a new neighbor, introduce them to the building and to others, share a few meals and make the transition as easy as possible,” said Sandmann.

But it does help to be realistic when preparing for the shift, she suggests, including knowing that some home goods will need to be left behind and others (like lift chairs) may need to be acquired for optimal living.

“If packing becomes too overwhelming, start small—maybe just commit to a half-hour a day—and be willing to ask for help,” she said.

Sandmann recommends that people do their best to focus on the positives of the change.

“We want you to maximize your time and life by making the move when you’re still able so you can enjoy our amenities and make friends,” said Sandmann.

Getting there

When you’re ready to get a move on, Kato Moving & Storage is one of the local companies primed to do the job.

In fact, Erin Pietz, the business’s salesperson for local moves, coordinates an average of three to five moves weekly for those transitioning to senior living communities.

“We’re the premier moving company for most of the assisted living facilities in the area,” declared Pietz.

Typical clients range from their mid60s to late 80s—and beyond.

“Often, a family member or child is calling us for their parents,” said Pietz. “It’s nice when a person has someone who can do that coordinating for them.

“We’re so familiar with this type of move—for a person shifting from a home to an assisted living community— that it can be done very efficiently, usually within a few hours.”

But efficiency isn’t the only priority, Pietz knows; yes, she and the entire Kato Moving & Storage team are efficient problem-solvers, but they are also sensitive.

“Everyone in our office is empathetic, and so are our crew members,” Pietz said.

“Oftentimes I’ll give them a little extra information about the clients [if one of the parties has an illness or difficult diagnosis] so they can show extra empathy and care—because everyone here has to know that is part of our job.”

Pietz finds herself having extensive conversations with customers about the new phase they’re entering, so she is accustomed to the transition’s challenges and understanding of the emotional load they may be bearing.

“A lot of times, people don’t want to part with things so that creates difficult conversations with family and friends,” said Pietz.

“The best way is to plan ahead, to be realistic about what can and can’t fit in their new space, because there is a point where you need to realize you can’t have three hutches, two desks and all of your tables in a smaller apartment,” she continued.

“It’s good if you can prepare before the move, be mindful of the new space and think about what you may need to part with before the move actually happens.”

What if someone has overestimated and the moving crew just can’t fit everything in?

“There are multiple options,” Pietz said reassuringly. “We work with Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties, or we can help facilitate donations to VINE Home Thrift Store, or if you’re just not ready to part with something we can take it back to our warehouse or you can contract with us to store things—we have multiple storage units.”

The main thing to know is Kato Moving & Storage has plenty of experience with on-the-spot problemsolving.

“We have many options to help families with this transition process, and if you decide to donate, we can just take it off your shoulders,” she said.

To get ahead of the problem, Pietz can visit a home to advise family members about what would be easy to donate, what would be difficult to move to a smaller space and what would be useful to take along.

“At times there can be several family members involved, and it might be a stressful or emotional moment, but I’m a neutral, more objective person so I can help make it work efficiently,” Pietz observed.

Pietz has facilitated enough senior moves to know it’s vital to remain respectful of clients’ emotions, and that even though it’s a routine process to her, it’s a new and personal journey for them.

“With absolutely everyone I talk to, I can tell it’s a relief for them to have a conversation with someone like me who can go over everything and walk them through the process,” said Pietz.

“To have someone detail the steps and services can be very relieving.”

But she also brings a practical perspective.

“Parting with things you’ve had for years can be emotional, but it’s [moving] a good time to do it because if you don’t do it now, your family may have to figure out what to do with things later—and then you may not be part of the decision-making,” said Pietz.

So even when a client or their family members may have difficulty seeing the light at the end of the moving tunnel, Pietz can guarantee it will all come together to a satisfying resolution.

“It can be a stressful and emotional time, sure, but when you think about it, almost every time a person moves it’s for an emotional reason—a new job, a divorce, a death, a new baby or a need for more services as a senior,” Pietz said.

“In the latter situation, it can be really hard, but it can also be a relief to know that mom or dad will be taken care of in a safe and comfortable place,” she added.

“Making a connection with customers and problem-solving for families is always something I love about my job.”