Moving in Your 70s Doesn’t Have to Be Scary

By Sarah Koons, guest blogger

Moving is intimidating! There’s so much to do — arrangements to make, what to give to children or others, things to pack — and that’s all just to get stuff out the door. When you add arthritis, aging knees, and muscles that just can’t lift as much as they used to, it’s easy to see how putting off moving quickly becomes the simpler option. However, moving in your 70s doesn’t have to be scary, difficult or inconvenient. Thanks to proactive retirement communities and specialized moving companies with compassionate services, moving has never been easier for seniors.

Most of us have been there before: you start the daunting task of packing when suddenly four hours have passed and all you have to show for it is a renewed realization that going through a lifetime of possessions is an enormous job. Fortunately, there are professionals who have made it their career to assist with situations exactly like this. Beth Wenhart from Carolina Relocation and Transition Specialists is one such person. Ms. Wenhart said, “We understand that this is an overwhelming and emotional process. Having an experienced professional to walk through the process with you makes it much less overwhelming.”

Once everything is packed up and ready to go, there is also the physical move that needs to take place. Businesses like Carolina Relocation and Transition Specialists offer turn-key services that make the process painless. Those services include planning what can fit in your new space, helping clients decide what to take with them (plus taking care of the things left behind), packing, moving, unpacking and settling into your new home.

Ms. Wenhart recalls moving a client from her home of 40 years soon after her husband passed away. “They had traveled extensively together and collected many beautiful things in their travels. These ‘beautiful things’ all reminded her of happy times and how much she missed her husband. She was afraid that this relocation was going to force her to give up most of those things. By working with her to learn the items that were the most important to her, and with careful layout of her new space, we were able to incorporate many of her treasures into her new home,” said Ms. Wenhart. “The day before the move she was in tears about leaving her home, but when she walked into her newly set up apartment the next afternoon she gasped and said, ‘Oh, it is so beautiful. It looks like home.'”

While moving can be an intimidating task, it’s encouraging to remember where you are going. Senior communities like Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community boast many exciting amenities and modernizations that can make life more comfortable. Leah Holdren, marketing coordinator at Springmoor, reassures seniors considering moving that there are many advantages in moving to a new home. “You can pick the paint you want for your new apartment and make it look like home. We know it’s stressful, but we work with moving companies and can tell you what will fit and what won’t,” said Ms. Holdren. At Springmoor, they have a hair salon, physical therapy center, movie theater, salt water pool and more for residents to look forward to when they arrive.

While at first thought moving may be upsetting, relocating in your 70s can be delightful! To make the easiest transition, make sure not to wait until the last minute. “Come to us while you are still able, so you can enjoy all that a retirement community has to offer,” recommends Ms. Holdren. Ms. Wenhart agreed by saying, “Don’t allow your apprehension about this type of move to prevent you from going forward. Postponing the relocation until you are a little older tends to make it more difficult.” 

Besides, this could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for to finally have a movie theater in your own backyard … and have someone else do the cooking!