Relocating: When Your Loved Ones Need You Closer

There are many steps you can take to try to ensure your senior loved ones are being taken care of when you don't live locally. However, there may come a time when you may find yourself wondering if it's time to move closer to them. If that time is closing in, check out these tips from the real estate experts at The Jennifer Queen Team.

Moving a Senior Loved One

Staying in their own home may be important to seniors. Uprooting a senior may be difficult because they've become accustomed to their surroundings and the community they've built. You'd need to plan on packing or selling many of the things they've accumulated and build new social relationships. 

When You Decide to Move Closer

Consequently, it may be easier for you to move closer than to try and move your elderly parent or loved one. You might want to move them in with you or simply be closer to make things easier and allow them to keep their independence.

In this case, you'll want to look at options for buying a new home. Your mortgage lenders will look at your debt-to-income ratio to figure out what an affordable home for you might cost. Once you crunch the numbers, be mindful in your home search.

Your real estate agent will guide you along the way, but with a competitive market, it’s easy to be lured in by a great deal with a fixer-upper. However, an as-is property can bring a fair share of problems that you don’t need with this type of transition. Carefully explore properties that will match up with the lifestyle you’ll be managing.

Monitoring Your Loved One

Once you've decided to move closer, you can look for homes or upgrades that let your loved one visit you safely or make their move with you easier. It could be as simple as adding nightlights around their room and walkways to make it easier for them to see. You'll also need to consider grab bars, putting down non-slip mats, and removing potential hazards. Think about the impact any pets might have as well, whether yours or theirs, and make adjustments accordingly. 

You'll want to consider not just their physical well-being but their emotional and mental health too. Having children and grandchildren closer and a bigger part of their lives may help your loved one's emotional well-being. You'll also want to make sure their daily living requirements, such as bathing and feeding, are being met.

Hiring Help or Becoming a Caregiver

When planning your move, you may be thinking about whether your loved one will stay home, move in with you, or move to an assisted living facility. You'll also need to decide whether you will do most of the caregiving or hire someone else so that you can avoid caregiver burnout and offer the most support.  Finding caregivers and services locally may be easier when you're close by.

The Best Options Can Be Easy

If your loved one doesn't want to move to be closer to you and moving them could be more difficult, you may decide to move closer to them. This keeps their schedule and community intact while allowing you to still be part of their life in their later years. And if you need help selling your home in the Winnipeg area or buying a new one to do so, contact The Jennifer Queen Team to help with the process.

Written by: Claire Wentz

claire@caringfromafar.com

http://caringfromafar.com/