Transitioning to Independent Living: Tips for a Smooth Move

Many people understand the benefits of living in Independent Living communities. You can enjoy your own private apartment, socialize with your neighbors and friends, and enjoy a range of helpful services. You don’t even have to worry about cooking your own meals in most senior living communities.

However, that doesn’t mean many people who make the move aren’t nervous and overwhelmed by the process. Fortunately, transitioning into an Independent Living community can often be more stress-free and straightforward than you think when you take these actions:

Take Your Time

Moving into an Independent Living community shouldn’t be a decision you make on a whim. It should be something you plan over many weeks or months. Some people even start planning a year or more in advance. Plan ahead, and you may feel less stressed with a more generous timeline.

When you plan ahead, you can create a timeline and task list for everything you want to achieve before you move, such as downsizing your possessions, touring possible communities to move into, and selling your house. The more time you have for these tasks, the less stressed you might be.

Declutter and Downsize Your Possessions

We can accumulate many possessions over the years in our own homes. Depending on the size of your current home versus your new apartment in Independent Living, you may not have space for everything you own.

As challenging as decluttering and downsizing can sometimes be, it can often be necessary for a stress-free move into an Independent Living community. If you know you’ll be overwhelmed, ask friends and family members for help.

You can sort your possessions into four piles: keep, donate, sell, and throw away. Prioritize anything that will bring you comfort during the transition period in your new home.

Get Familiar with Your Floor Plan

Part of moving into an Independent Living community involves selecting an available floor plan to suit your needs. There are generally plenty to choose from, such as studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments, if you intend to move into a community with a loved one.

Become familiar with the floor plan you’ve chosen so you can start envisioning where you’ll put all your possessions. This process may make deciding what to keep and what to give away or sell much more straightforward.

Explore the Area

Whether you’re moving into an Independent Living community in your current town or city or a new one, don’t underestimate the importance of exploring the area in advance. Walk or drive around the streets near your new future home and see how far you’ll be from everyday amenities and attractions.

You may even discover new places you’d like to visit once you move. Exploring the area in advance may make you feel more confident about this next chapter of your life.

Ask for Help

Downsizing your house, decluttering, cleaning, and moving your furniture and possessions to a new location can be overwhelming for one person to manage. Ask friends and family members for help. You can also enlist the services of professional home organizers, cleaners, and movers if you feel more comfortable.

The more help you have for moving, the faster you can move into your new home and the less stressed and overwhelmed you may feel.

Join Asher Point Independent Living of Bartlesville Today

As scary and daunting as change can be, we know you can feel right at home at Asher Point Independent Living of Bartlesville. If you have questions or want to look around, we encourage you to contact us today. We look forward to welcoming you into our wonderful senior living community in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.