Moving Someone With Memory Loss

Moving somebody with dementia or significant memory difficulty is one of the harder things a family does. The logistics are the same as any small move; almost everything else is different.

Just-In-Time Moving works throughout Washington and Washington County. What follows is what we have learned doing these, not clinical advice, and anybody involved should be taking guidance from the people providing care.

Keep the person away from the disruption

The most consistently useful thing.

A house being emptied is disorienting for anybody and considerably worse for somebody who may not retain the explanation. Strangers, noise, furniture disappearing and open doors together can be genuinely distressing.

Where possible, have them elsewhere with somebody they know for the day, and arrive at the new place once the bedroom and a sitting area are set up.

Reproduce, do not redesign

Photograph every room before anything is dismantled. Not just the layout: what is on the dresser, which side the lamp is on, the order of things on a shelf, which chair faces where.

Then reproduce it as closely as the new space allows. Familiar arrangement is genuinely orienting, and for somebody relying on habit rather than memory it is practical rather than sentimental.

Resist the urge to improve things at the same time. New furniture, a better layout and a fresh start are well meant and they remove the cues the person is navigating by.

Keep the objects that carry meaning

Downsizing pressure argues for disposing of a great deal. Weigh that carefully here.

The chair, the blanket, the clock, the photographs and the familiar crockery are doing real work. Something that looks like clutter may be an anchor.

Where things must go, take the visible ones last and replace nothing needlessly.

Set up in a specific order

Bedroom first, completely, with their own bedding and bedside items in the right places. Then a sitting area with the familiar chair and the photographs out. Then everything else.

A finished, recognisable room on arrival matters more than how much was unpacked.

Practical points

Keep medication, documents and anything irreplaceable with a family member.

Tell us what the situation is when booking. It changes how we work: quieter, doors managed, no discussion in front of the person, and the bedroom prioritised. Our crews handle this regularly and will take direction from you.

Expect the following weeks to be harder than the day itself, and plan visits then.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.