When you’re preparing to move into a retirement community, there are many things to consider. 

No one knows that better than Jean Hodge, the owner and CEO of Caring Transitions of South Dayton, an organization that provides solutions to seniors and their loved ones who are downsizing and relocating. With more than 30 years in the industry, Jean knows the importance of this transition — and the difficulties. 

“You’re taking a lifetime of memories and possessions and fitting them into 800 square feet or less,” she said.

As we tapped into Jean’s expertise, we asked her how best to prepare for yourself or a loved one's move into a new community. Here are five keys:

Plan Ahead 

Jean’s most important advice: Do what you can to “avoid crisis mode” by planning ahead as early as possible, whether for yourself or for your aging loved one. 

“Figure out what you like, what you need, and what feels like home to you so that you have choices and options,” she said. “Because if something should happen that means you don't have a choice in the matter and you just have to move to a care facility, you may be at the mercy of what's available and you might not get a choice.” 

Jean recommends going on tours to learn about what you like and don’t like about a community, the amenities and support you require, and overall “what feels like home to you” so you and your family understands what to prioritize when the time comes to make the big move. 

Determine What’s Valuable to You 

Once you know you’re planning a move, it’s time to start identifying the possessions and belongings that are most important to you. 

For some, those will be financially valuable items — jewelry, keepsakes, collectibles and more. For others, it’s about sentimentality and the irreplaceable. 

“What's valuable to one person is not valuable to another,” Jean said. “An example might be their favorite salad bowl because that's what they served at every meal with their family. It likely has no monetary value, but it means something to that person. So you want to determine what is valuable to you and what you want to hang on to.” 

Establish What Will Fit 

Once you know what you want to take with you, it’s time to find out exactly what you can take. 

Unlike most moves in our lives, a move to a retirement community likely comes with a bit of downsizing. That’s great for ease of living, but it can be tricky when determining what  belongings will make the cut. And what you want to avoid, Jean said, is bringing too much. 

“What you don’t want is to move too much furniture in with you and then find out that things have to go back,” she said. 

This step of the process is one of Caring Transitions’ specialties. Jean and her team can help you sort through belongings and get a better understanding of what should come with you and what shouldn’t.   

Get the Most Out of Your Things

Once you know what you’ll be keeping, it’s time to deal with what you’ll be getting rid of. 

For most people, an online auction or estate sale is the best bet for maximizing the value of your items. Jean said these online methods — as opposed to a traditional estate sale — are her preferred method because they ensure you’ll get the best value possible for your things. 

The Caring Transitions team can help here too, setting up your auction and listing your items on an exclusive online platform. 

“It turns out that, more often than not, online sales are more profitable for people because we advertise nationwide and ship to people,” she said. “So you've got a nationwide audience that is bidding on your items and the price of them can only go up. In an estate sale, you put a price tag on something and then immediately someone's going to come in and offer you less. And with an online sale, you also don't have hundreds of people walking through your home.” 

For everything else that shouldn’t be thrown away, donation is a great option. 

Find Moving Help 

When you’ve established what you’re keeping, what you’re getting rid of and where you’re going, it’s time for the dreaded moving process. 

But, once again, Caring Transitions can make this step easy. Whether you just want help with your move or you want them to do the entire process for you, Jean and her team can assist in a variety of ways. She aims for what she calls “Day one living,” a process that takes all the work out of your hands and makes the move as easy as possible. They can even help you pack. 

“That's our goal, to move people in and have them feel at home from the moment they walk in.” 

If you’re not planning on paying for extra services, you’ll want to take Jean’s earlier advice: plan ahead. Otherwise, you may find the transition a bit overwhelming. 

“The more that you can purge as you're going along before it gets time to move, the less overwhelming it is at that time.” 

Learn more about Jean and Caring Traditions here, or call (937) 490-8066. 

For more information about 10 Wilmington Place, contact us here or call (937) 253-1010. Visit 10 Wilmington Place for a complimentary lunch and tour!