How to Determine What You Can Take with You to an Assisted Living Facility
Moving into an assisted living facility can be a tough process emotionally, but it doesn't have to be that difficult in terms of the actual move and unpacking. Many assisted living facilities have unfurnished rooms where you can bring in your own furniture and belongings. Initially, downsizing from a whole house or apartment to one studio-like room does not look easy. But you can take steps to make the process much more simple from the start.
Get Exact Measurements
First, get the exact measurements of the room and all its walls and doors. If you can, get a scaled-down drawing of the outline showing the windows, doors, kitchenette if you'll have one, closet, and bathroom. Also, if your room does have a kitchenette, find out what cabinet space is available and how large any counters are. Some of these facilities have no kitchenette space, but many allow for a small refrigerator, microwave, and other small appliances like a coffee maker. (Remember, assisted living is not the same as skilled nursing.) Exact measurements let you calculate which pieces of furniture you can take with you and which ones should not go. And don't plan to cram the room full of furniture. It won't look as good as you think it will.
What Senior Move Companies Can Do
You may want to hire a senior move company. These are moving companies that specialize in moving seniors to assisted living, skilled nursing, and other types of long-term care facilities. They may actually be able to take measurements for you, and with their experience, they'll have a pretty good eye for what will fit in the room. One caveat: Be sure you know where the moving company wants to put everything. Sometimes they go strictly by what will fit but don't really place things according to how convenient your access to them will be. In other words, if you don't plan where things will go, you could end up with cabinet doors opening up in a direction that makes it harder for you to see inside, for example.
Consider Trading Current for New Furniture
If you feel you need certain pieces of furniture, such as a desk, but the ones you have don't appear to fit very well when you compare their measurements to the measurements of the room, you might look into getting new furniture. You don't need huge bedroom sets, but a sturdy desk from a big box store may be just what you need if your own desk appears to be too big.
The director of the assisted living facility may have measurements for the room on file. They can also help you with any move-in questions you still have. Assisted living is different from living on your own, but you'll be surprised at how social it can be. Once the move is over, you can concentrate on making new friends.
For additional information, contact an assisted living facility in your area such as Sparkling Fountain Homes
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