Senior Moves Increase After the Holidays and Help is Available

When families get together for the holidays it can sometimes be the first time adult children have seen their parents in awhile. There may be the realization that mom or dad isn’t getting on as well as they used to – there may be physical or mental changes that were not apparent in letters or phone calls, changes that may make it unsafe for the parents to continue to live on their own.

Negotiating such a transition can be difficult and stressful. Where is the best place for mom or dad to go? What can they take with them to their new home, which will most likely be much smaller than their current one? What should be done with the rest of their belongings? Many adult children already have a home full of stuff and don’t have the space, or the desire, for any more.

Caring Transitions of Columbia, Clarksville and Western Suburbs can help. Caring Transitions is a nationally-known company that specializes in being a total solution for senior transitions and downsizing.

Brenda Thomas the owner of Columbia, Clarksville and Western Suburbs team, opened for business in January of 2017 and has been helping many families in the Howard County area to more easily negotiate life’s transitions.

Brenda gave up her demanding corporate career in marketing in 2010 to reconnect with her family, moving from New Jersey back to the Washington D.C. area where she grew up. However, when it sunk in that her youngest of three sons would be going off to college she decided it was time for her next move.

Wanting to be more involved in her community here in Howard County and to be able to offer a caring service that could be of benefit to her neighbors, Brenda looked for a business that would give her this opportunity. When she found Caring Transitions she knew it would be perfect. The range of services, the emphasis on compassion, and even the name appealed to her. It felt right. With Caring Transitions she is able to combine her professional experience with her passion for family, connecting with families at a time when extra help may be needed.

Brenda's mother, who is almost ninety, has been her biggest advocate and has even been to some of her networking events. Her mother's involvement has given Brenda some real insight into the needs of seniors and has helped her to understand the nuances of working in this field. "It's made a big difference for me to have her involved and excited about what we're doing", Brenda says.

Brenda and her team can be present for every stage of the moving process, from the initial decision to move to getting settled in a new space. They can:

• Assist in finding the ideal location that fits mom’s or dad’s needs
• Organize and sort personal belongings
• Identify appraisers to determine the value of family heirlooms
• Manage an estate sale or on-line auction
• Clean out and prepare the house for sale
• Arrange for painting or repairs
• Interview real estate agents for the sale of the property
• Interview movers and help facilitate the move
• Professionally pack and unpack items
• Stage belongings in the new home to help ease transition anxiety

Caring Transitions can do some or all of these activities, depending on how much time, energy and ability the family members have to devote to the process. Caring Transitions of Columbia, Clarksville and Western Suburbs is here to help in whatever way makes the most sense in each individual situation.

You can find them at www.caringtransitionscolumbia.com.