You’ve made the decision that it’s time for senior living for yourself or someone you love. Now that the choice is made, it’s time to prepare yourself for this move. If you’ll be relocating from home into a senior living community, that likely involves downsizing.
The concept of downsizing can feel overwhelming. But, done right, this process can be a proactive step in your positive transition into your life’s exciting new chapter. If you’re supporting a loved one through the downsizing process, you can help them recognize the opportunity in this chance to make a fresh new start.
At The Birches, we prefer to call it “rightsizing.” We believe this term more accurately reflects the positive opportunities a move to senior living offers. We want to support you in creating a new life that fits you just right.
But how can you approach and tackle rightsizing for senior living? At The Birches, we’ve helped many families navigate the senior living transition process successfully. Here are our top downsizing tips to help you make your transition into senior living easier and less stressful.
Downsizing tips for your home
What will you need in your senior living home?
A great tip for rightsizing for senior living is to use your new senior living space as a guideline to plan.
Chances are, you or a loved one has had the opportunity to visit your senior living apartment. If not, most senior living communities offer floor plans on their websites. This way, you can have a good sense of the space you’ll have.
The Birches offers easy to view and download versions of our assisted living and memory care apartment floorplans. Select your layout from our options so you can plan to fill your new space with your cherished decor and furnishings!
With a clear understanding of your new space, you can start planning for what will go where. Our apartments at The Birches offer many spacious layout options to accommodate your favorite items. Have fun decorating and making your space your own!
We want you to feel truly at home in our senior living community. We love to see how each of our residents transforms their space to suit their unique personality and preferences. Our team will be happy to help and assist you in this process. Just ask!
Our assisted living apartments are spacious enough to accommodate a range of your favorite furnishings. Many residents bring along cherished items like grandfather clocks, lovely lamps, bookshelves, china cabinets, hutches, and favorite tables and chairs.
Our residents also love decorating their apartments to showcase their unique aesthetics. Your favorite decor, art, and wall decorations are welcome, as are your cherished knickknacks, keepsakes, and photographs.
You’ll also want to bring along some of your favorite kitchenware for your assisted living kitchenette. Though you’ll likely enjoy most meals in our lovely dining room, it’s always nice to have necessary items available for when you have guests or want to enjoy a snack or a quick bite at home.
Similarly, you’ll want to stock your bathroom with your favorite towels and personal care items.
Our memory care residents can also decorate and furnish their own private studio apartments, or they can opt for our fully furnished option.
The best part about your senior living accommodations at The Birches is they’re already fully equipped with safety and accessibility features to suit a range of lifestyle needs.
From bathroom grab bars in our assisted living apartments to our Vigil Memory Care Emergency System that comes hard-wired into all our memory care apartments—The Birches has what you need to live in comfort and ease.
Our top downsizing tips for senior living
Now that you’re ready to tackle rightsizing your belongings to prepare for your move into senior living, you may wonder where to begin.
We recommend you start with a plan. Chances are, you’ve lived in your home for at least a short while. That means you’ve had time to accumulate things. It will take time and effort to sort things out into what you’re taking with you and what you’re not.
A great first start is to declutter your space. This process can help you get organized and begin sorting out items you want to take with you, give away, and throw away.
Local grocery stores usually have piles of extra cardboard boxes to give away. If you don’t see any, ask! You can also obtain packing supplies via U-Haul.
Go through your papers, knickknacks, decor, and smaller items first. Sort these into boxes labelled with their destination. You may want to give special items to loved ones, so you know they’ll stay safe and be treasured.
Next, it’s time to sort your furniture and other larger items. This is when having an idea of your senior living floor plan comes in handy. You can use it to help you select which furnishings you’ll bring, which you’ll give to loved ones, which you’ll sell, and which you’ll donate.
Check out our website for easy to view versions of all our senior living apartment floorplans. Or reach out directly to our team, for their advice and support.
Lastly, if you’re planning to sell your home, it’s wise to connect with a realtor to get their insight and guidance on how to set up your home for success in the selling process. They may recommend staging your home, making certain repairs, or freshening up some paint.
Rightsizing is a big job! Don’t be afraid to ask your loved ones for their support and help during this process. Many people want to feel supportive, and delegating specific jobs to them can let them scratch this itch, while helping you in the bargain!
Ideas to make your senior living space your own
Odds are your new senior living accommodations will be smaller than your home. This can be a great chance to get creative with decorating your cozy new space to make the most of it.
After all, that’s what rightsizing is all about!
Mirrors are a great way to add flair and dimension to your new space. You can also get creative by using vertical spaces to your advantage and leaning into dual purpose items, like storage ottomans, or a daybed that functions as both a couch and bed with storage underneath.
Places like IKEA make a range of items designed for smaller spaces, and this can be a great way to update your furnishings to suit your new apartment perfectly. Wayfair is another great site to find furnishings, and you can narrow your search results for specific items, purposes, price point, and dimensions.
Handpick your favorite furniture to make your space feel like home. Decorating with your personal items and decor is another great way to make your senior living apartment truly your own. Showcase your personal style and flair and set up your apartment to suit your unique preferences and needs. And don’t forget to have fun with it!
Remember, rightsizing is about more than getting rid of some stuff. It’s an opportunity for a fresh start and a new beginning.
Are you ready to write your life’s exciting next chapter, feeling lighter and more carefree? Rightsizing is a key part of this process.
We hope our downsizing tips have helped you plan for and tackle this process. And we can't wait to welcome you to The Birches senior living community!
Download your copy of our Successful Transitions to Senior Living guide to learn more expert tips about transitioning into senior living and rightsizing. Contact us to learn more about how The Birches can support and guide you throughout your transition into senior living.