If you have decided to move into an independent senior living community and are making the move there soon, congratulations! This is the beginning of a whole new adventure for you. However, a big move means a whole lot of packing. If you are wondering what to pack for your exciting new move, fret not. Here is a simple checklist for items you need to pack when you move into independent senior living.
Clothing
You may think this is a no-brainer, but picking out what type of clothing to bring and how much can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you out:
- Bring along your favorite and comfortable pieces: You are not going for a runway show, so you should prioritize bringing clothing that you really love and know you will wear often such as favorite shirts, pants, dresses, or coats. Don’t forget clothing you are comfortable in such as your comfy pajamas or loungewear.
- Make sure you have clothing for all seasons: Ensure you have loose and airy clothing for the summer and warm sweaters for the wintertime so that you can stay comfortable all year round.
- Don’t forget your accessories: Socks, coats, ties, belts, hats, sunglasses, and other accessories that you might need. Do not go overboard though, only bring the essentials that you will wear often.
- Bring enough to last you a full laundry cycle: How much clothing to bring depends on whether you have a washer and a dryer provided in your apartment or whether you have weekly laundry services. If you have your own washer and dryer, you only need to have enough clothing to last until the next time you usually do laundry. If not, you need to have enough to last you until the next laundry service.
Shoes
You do not need to bring your entire shoe collection but consider the shoes you need for different purposes. You will need shoes for daily wear, slippers for walking in the house, comfortable sports shoes for exercise, boots for winter, boots for rain, and a pair of dress shoes for whenever you are dressing up and attending events.
Medication
If you are on medication, remember to bring them along with you. These include vitamins. If you are unsure of which to bring along, check again with your doctor.
Toiletries and Personal Care
You should also remember to bring along essential toiletries and items for personal care and grooming such as:
- Body wash, shampoo, and conditioner
- Toothbrush, dental floss, and toothpaste
- Facial cleanser
- Skincare items such as moisturizers, toners, or creams
- Body creams or lotions
- Deodorant
- Shaver, razors, and shaving cream
- Spectacles
- Dentures
- Hearing aids
- Walking aids such as canes
- Laundry bags
- Cotton pads and tissues
Other Valuable Items
As much as possible, it is best to leave very valuable items such as expensive jewelry with a family member that you trust. However, if there is jewelry that means a lot to you and you can’t live without it, you can bring it along with you and keep it in a small safe. You can also bring along other things that are valuable or hold sentimental value such as photographs.
Now that you know what to pack in your bag, you can make a checklist, start packing and get excited about your big move.
