Moving Mom into an ALF in one week. How to pack and move her stuff and furniture in such a short amount of time?

08/26/16.... One thing I had noticed after I had moved my Dad, when we rented a lift recliner that thing was BIG.... it took up much more space that I had imagined. Dad loves this recliner as he said it is the best recliner he had ever had... and he likes the idea of the "lift".

That is something to think about in the future for space in the room when one's elder has problems getting out of a chair.

At this date, you probably have already discussed what you need with the AL, but the ones that I dealt with already had most everything, like the bed, dresser, chair, nightstand, etc. They even provided sheets and towels as well as laundry being included. All we needed were personal items, tv, radio, toiletries. I put up a couple of her family pictures and wall decor about Family and love.

I wouldn't stuff a lot of things in the room. It makes them feel closed in and it's not easy for the staff to clean when there are things occupying every single inch of space.

Moving to an Assisted Living facility with all household items and stuff in a single week is not a good idea. Take only what is required most like personal items and leave decorative items to pack later. Things which are used regularly should be your priority and avoid collectables which can reduce surface space, rugs as they are a tripping hazard, chairs on wheels, multiple of most things, large-scale furniture, etc.

I did what Churchmouse had suggested by drawing a diagram of the room. I did that when my Dad first moved from his single family home into a 2 bedroom Independent Living apartment.

I used graph paper, measured the rooms, measured the furniture and cut out the furniture to place within the measured rooms on the graph paper. That helped me a lot. It showed me that my late Mom's dresser wouldn't fit in the new bedroom, but there was room in the living room for it so it made a side board piece. I used professional movers, well worth the cost. My Dad moved about 200 books, and the movers moved those.

This week I moved Dad into an Assisted Living one room suite, in the same complex, that wasn't easy as Dad was limited on what he could take. Once again I used graph paper. I was surprised how much we were able to cram into that room :) And yes, all of Dad's books as the bookcases fit perfectly. The complex moved the heavy furniture.

Oh, check and see what the Assisted Living facility offers. I didn't need to move any of Dad's bed sheets or towels as the facility has their own which are washed daily. They also supply the toilet paper, paper towels, and tissue boxes. Even do laundry thus they use their own detergent and softeners. Whew, glad I didn't need to have to move those things :)

We are moving either the 29th or 30 of August. Once i nail things down with the movers

Yes, start at the ALF end: plan what is going where in her new room, draw an actual diagram, make a list. Concentrate on what will make it look familiar to her - her own bedside light, a rug if it's allowed, her dressing table things.

All of the furniture and things that don't have a definite place to go, you then decide what's happening with that - sell, donate, chuck out. Ideally do that bit after she has moved.

One comforting thought: even suppose you do make a mistake, and something accidentally gets left behind that it later turns out she needs. Well, there are still shops, and you can always buy her another one. Don't worry, it is hard to get this really wrong.

And I agree about professional movers - worth every penny - or failing that, given the short notice, as many pairs of friends' hands as you can enlist.

Put her favorite family photo where she can see it often

I have a large framed portrait of her parents on the wall next to my mom's bed so she sees them when she goes to sleep and when she wakes up and it is very comforting to her when she's alone and scared

Bring her favorite things. Plaster the wall with paintings, pictures, etc no matter how much they mismatch. No valuables. Try to recreate home setting as best you can. Familiar pillowsn towels, comforter. Maybe her favorite tea cup, candy dish. It's the little things.

We told mom pack like you're going on a one month cruise. That worked really well. We had her go to lunch at the facility, and while she was at lunch, professional movers set up her room. She brought her bed, favorite chair and side table with a lamp. The facility provided a small but lovely dresser. That was really all she needed. She was never in the room anyway, always busy with her new friends.

If I were you I would just move the essentials and bring the rest as needed, assuming she doesn't need to give up her old place immediately. Trying to pack and move completely in one week is madness!

Your other post says September 26th?