Helping Your Parents Move Into An Assisted Living Community

If you are planning on moving into an assisted living community shortly, it is helpful to know what you need to bring with you and what you can leave behind, as you work on downsizing your home. With assisted living communities, you are living in your own apartment, cottage, or small home.

Leave the Yard Equipment

At assisted living communities, the yard is usually very minimal if you have one at all. All outside maintenance is taken care of by the yard staff at the facility. If you love to garden, feel free to bring some pots and tools for a planer-based garden with you. You may want to bring some basic gardening tools, as well. However, you can sell your riding lawn mower, chain saw, leaf blower, and other yard equipment you have accumulated over the years.

Bring Your Car

If you can still drive, you can bring your car with you to your assisted living community. Most assisted living communities offer covered or garage parking for residents.

However, if you are not able to drive anymore, consider selling your car before you move in. Most assisted living communities have small buses and vans that they use to provide residents with transportation.

Bring (Some) of Your Furniture

You can furnish your own apartment or small home. In assisted living communities, most homes are only one bedroom with a small kitchen, dining room, and living room. In all likelihood, you will need to downsize some of your belongings. You are not going to have a spare room in your new space, so you are going to need to pare down your belongings so that they fit in a single bedroom and a single living room/family room space. The dining areas also tend to be smaller, so a large formal dining table will not be necessary.

Check out the dimensions of your new space, and work together with your family to go through and downsize your items. If you have some items that you just can't let go yet, you can always put them in a self-storage facility.

Bring Your Pets

Finally, the vast majority of assisted living communities allow you to bring your pets with you. However, your pet will need to be current on their vaccines and any appropriate licenses for the area where you live. You may need to make a visit to your vet to obtain the appropriate documentation in order to demonstrate that your pet is up to date on their vaccines for the apartment.

Additionally, many living communities, like other apartments, require you to place down a pet security deposit. This covers any damage to your space that your pet may cause.

When getting ready to move into an assisted living community, you can leave behind your outside equipment and any vehicles that you are not using. You can bring some of your furniture and belongings with you, and you can most definitely bring your pets with you, as well.

For more information, talk to companies like Haven Homes.