This week, real estate sales consultant Rick McHone of The Jason Mitchell Group gives his advice on how to accommodate aging parents moving to assisted living, and how and when is the best time to step in and help.
More and more of us Baby Boomers are now facing the difficult decisions that come with helping our parents downsize or move to an assisted living center which many times is not an easy move to make.
One of the first things to consider is that this is a very difficult and emotional time for your parents and one that needs a great deal of empathy from the kids.This is the time to be careful,methodical,and to understand that the home your parents are leaving may be the home they have lived in for decades. For many seniors this is an extremely difficult and emotional time to make the final decision to pack up their lives and move to an assisted living facility.
Downsizing also means that there may be many years of accumulated possessions inside the home that need to be sold or distributed to your family members for safe keeping. Making the final decision to start the process is a difficult one and you as the decision maker may be looking at a garage full of possessions that may not have real value to you, but have a deep emotional value to your parents.
If the decision is made to eliminate some of these belongings by having a garage sale, which is one option, this can be extremely challenging for all individuals involved. There are a growing number of options out there to help with the process. Many companies have formed over the years to assist with selling and or organizing your parents personal belongings, while maintaining respect for the family and understanding the emotional strain this process may have
When communicating with companies that you have hired to assist you and your family in this process, keep in mind that your aging parents probably do not check email, do not use digital signatures and definitely do not text. It is important to remember that the he methods of communication you chose need to be addressed up front to avoid unneeded stress.
The National Association of Realtors has been training agents to become certified as Senior Real Estate Specialists. The training helps agents to understand the challenges in assisting with transactions that may involve selling a home to downsize. Knowing who to trust is also key to ensuring the parents are well taken care of. There is a new organization called the National Association of Senior Advocates that does background checks for service providers and makes sure they adhere to a higher gold standard of ethics.
I am the director of the organization for Arizona and a proud Senior Real Estate Specialist.
If you would like to know more about how we can help contact me by phone or email at:
602-361-9834
