Classic Moves

Why did you establish your business?
An aggressive cancer paralysed my father who lived in Queensland. I went to be with him as he was expected to die very quickly. He stabilized and I stayed with him for nearly a year. This gave me first hand experience of nursing homes where I saw how important quality care and respect for people was - and how the good nurses helped dad to have dignity. Maybe it was also fortuitous that I happened to stay with friends who were helping people move into retirement villages around Brisbane. I loved working with them and heard time and time again “ I wish we had done this earlier but the thought of the move stopped us”. When I returned to Melbourne I thought - I am going to help people who are moving into retirement or aged care!'

What is your background?
My background was teaching. I have taught at all levels but for the last 25 years I taught at teachers'colleges and then at RMIT in the School of Social Sciences.

Who are your clients
Our clients in the main are people over 55; people moving into aged care tend to be more likely single (widowed); people moving into retirement are both married couples or widowed, with more women than men. We also help younger people with disabilities and many people who either have little available support or who know their families are very busy. Occasionally we are asked to pack for busy professional people.

What are some of the challenges?
Each move seems unique. Some of the common challenges are to do with downsizing and the difficulty most of us face when having to relinquish things we have had for many years. This is especially difficult for moves into Nursing homes. Downsizing also means there is often quite a lot of logistical and timely decisions - sell home and furnishings, charities, disposing rubbish etc - It is often good to have someone do this who is not too emotionally involved.
Moves are often associated with grief - losing a loved one, leaving a home where a lifetime's memories are attached, leaving an area etc. People appreciate emotional support as well as the physical help for these big moves.

And the good parts?
We meet wonderful people and have a great sense of satisfaction when people who are dreading the move come in at the end of the unpack to see their new home set up and the beds made. For families it is a huge relief that they can leave the physical side of the move and deal with other things.

How do you sort out what needs to ‘go’ and what needs to be kept?
Where possible we work with clients and their families but we are also very aware of the requirement of nursing homes and we familiarize ourselves with the size of the new location. This often means taking only those things which are used frequently and those things which we simply cannot live without - we really love them!

Is this a difficult task for some people, or are they already mentally prepared?
This is almost always difficult. It is perhaps easier for people who have a history of moving often. People who have lived in the family home for a long time often need time to prepare. For those who cannot cull sufficiently before the move - the move never goes as well and people are forced to live in chaos until excess items are removed.

What are five tips for people thinking about moving (into a retirement home / nursing home)?
1. Ideally move whilst you are still very well mentally and physically. Many leave the decision too long.
2. Be ruthless about deciding what you can actually take into a smaller space - a new lifestyle often means you do not need what you did twenty years ago.
3. Accept that moving is emotionally and physically draining - you are more prone to becoming run down, not sleeping or having falls so take special care and pamper yourself. If you can get help take it!
4. Start thinking about the move as early as possible so you can move at a pace that suits you.
5. Do lots of homework in relationship to your choice of retirement or nursing home. Begin asking people about their experiences now.

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Classic Moves
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