The transition into an assisted living facility can be a lot of work for both the individual moving and their loved ones. This process often involves downsizing to prepare for the change in the size of the space that you will be living in. While you no doubt will choose to take your most sentimental items with you, there may be belongings and pieces of furniture you aren’t quite ready to let go of yet during this significant life change. Self-storage units are a valuable tool to make the transition smoother and less stressful for seniors and their families. Keep reading as we discover how a self-storage unit can assist during a transition into an assisted living facility.
The Challenges of Downsizing for Assisted Living
There are many challenges that come with a move into assisted living. Parting with personal belongings to fit into a smaller room or apartment is one of the biggest challenges for most individuals, especially after living in a larger home or apartment for most of their adult lives. Fitting into a smaller space simply won’t be possible with all of the items you have in a three- or four-bedroom home, so it’s necessary to work through your belongings and choose those most important to you to avoid a cluttered space. When it comes to making the decision of what to keep, donate, or store, this can be a very emotional time. As a family member of someone moving into assisted living, you’ll want to make sure you offer both emotional and practical support to make this process less taxing on your loved one.
Benefits of Using a Self-Storage Unit During the Transition
During the transition period when first moving into assisted living, a self-storage unit is one of the best investments you can make to avoid rushed decisions. Self-storage units allow families to keep essential items without making decisions they may regret for months or years. Our self-storage units offer high levels of security, providing a safe and climate-controlled environment for treasured belongings. You can put away items without worrying about them getting damaged or lost during the move. Many people struggle with organization during a time of significant change, and your self-storage unit acts as an organizational aid that helps keep things organized during the moving process, reducing clutter and chaos in your home and your new assisted living facility.
Essential Items to Consider Storing
When it comes to choosing the items to store in a self-storage unit, you’ll want to prioritize those that are sentimental or impractical for moving to your new home. Furniture is one of the top things we see stored during this type of move. Many items won’t fit into a new apartment or room but may wish to be passed on to loved ones or used by other family members. Furniture isn’t cheap to buy, and it harms the environment to trash large items when they are still in good condition. Family heirlooms and memorabilia are also popular items to store in our units, such as photo albums, antiques, and sentimental items that family members want to preserve. You don’t use or look at these types of belongings daily, but you certainly don’t wish to trash them when they mean so much to you and your loved ones.
Another reason people invest in self-storage units is for seasonal items and décor. This could include holiday decorations that might still hold value for family traditions. You don’t want these cluttering up a small space all year round, and instead, you can just return to your self-storage unit when you want to put these items up on display.
How Self-Storage Eases the Emotional Aspect of Downsizing
Self-storage can give peace of mind by ensuring that cherished items remain accessible. A self-storage unit can be accessed anytime, allowing you to support your loved one during this move while giving them an uncluttered and organized new space to live in. A temporary storage option allows seniors to revisit their belongings without feeling like they have to permanently let go, which is one of the biggest struggles for people downsizing at any time. You can then slowly declutter their belongings if they are ready to let go, but you can complete this process at any time.
Tips for Choosing the Right Self-Storage Unit
If you’ve decided to use a self-storage unit to support your transition into an assisted living facility, remember certain things when choosing a self-storage unit. A climate-controlled unit is the best option for delicate items, helping protect them from damage or decay when stored for a longer period. Picking a unit close to the assisted living facility is usually your best bet, as should your loved one want to get something out of storage, you can quickly get there and find the item they are looking for with no issues. Finally, you should always check the security features of the unit and the storage building. You want to make sure you have peace of mind when storing items of monetary and sentimental value in a storage unit.
Using a self-storage unit helps to ease the emotional and logistical burden of transitioning to assisted living. This time in your life can be very stressful and challenging, but making this investment will allow you to delay some of the decisions you may have to make until you feel more settled. A self-storage unit is a practical and compassionate option for a smoother transition and supports both the individual moving and the family during this time.
Amy’s Attic Self Storage | Your Self Storage Partner in Central TX
Amy’s Attic Self Storage offers convenient, secure, and clean self-storage solutions tailored to fit various needs, from household items to business storage. With multiple locations across Central Texas, each facility provides climate-controlled units, advanced security measures, and 24/7 access for peace of mind and flexibility. Contact us today for more information about our options or to discuss any questions you have about using our self-storage units.
Assisted Living Facilities in Waco
-
Arbor House Assisted Living & Alzheimer’s Certified Memory Care
Address: 2418 Marketplace Dr, Waco, TX 76711
Website: https://www.arborhouseliving.com/waco/
-
The Blake at Waco
Address: 5901 Crosslake Pkwy, Waco, TX 76712
Website: https://blakeliving.com/communities/waco/
-
Ascension Living Providence Village
Address: 300 W Hwy 6, Waco, TX 76712
Website: https://www.ascensionliving.org/find-a-community/providence-village-waco-tx
-
Residency at Ridgewood
Address: 6312 Cobbs Dr, Waco, TX 76710
Website: https://www.residencyatridgewood.com/
-
Mercy House Waco
Address: 4308 N 19th St, Waco, TX 76708
Website: https://livingspringsvillage.com/
Assisted Living Facilities near Belton, Temple, and Harker Heights
-
Stoney Brook of Belton
Address: 500 River Fair Blvd Belton, TX 76513
Website: https://www.stoneybrookseniorliving.org/senior-living/tx/belton/river-fair-blvd/assisted-living
-
Park Place Manor Rehabilitation and Healthcare
Address: 810 E 13th Ave, Belton, TX 76513
Website: https://www.parkplacemanor.com/long-term-care
-
Mercy House Temple
Address: 2728 Cottonwood Ln, Temple, TX 76502
Website: https://mercy.house/
-
Garden Estates of Temple
Address: 5320 Loop 205, Temple, TX 76502
Website: https://ssmgrp.com/communities/garden-estates-of-temple/
-
Harker Heights Nursing & Rehabilitation
Address: 415 Indian Oaks Drive, Harker Heights, TX 76548
Website: https://www.touchstone-communities.com/harker-heights-skilled-nursing-rehabilitation