A Covid-19 Moving Guide For Your Grandparents
Amid the pandemic, while many are choosing to stay home, others are relocating. Either from previous moving plans or financial hardships and paying rent, many Americans are in the middle of moving. If you can, try to avoid moving during these times or pushing the moving date back. Moving during a global pandemic is tricky, but this is especially true for the elderly as they are more at-risk. If you have grandparents who are moving during these times, Here is A Covid-19 Moving Guide For Your Grandparents to help keep them safe.
Plan Ahead:
With any big step in life, it’s always a good idea to plan. Making a to-do list and getting everything down on paper is a great first step to get your thoughts down. You can later organize these thoughts into an actionable to-do list. We recommend keeping a specific notebook or journal dedicated to the move.
Using a calendar and adding in potential key dates is another great step. We recommend using an app like Google Calendar. With this application, you can invite guests to your event, color block, and coordinate specific dates and create alarmed reminders. If you are helping older folks or your grandparents during a move, this is a helpful tool to keep everyone organized and on the same page.
Other ways to plan include buying cleaning supplies in bulk as you will likely have to clean out your old residence once everything is packed. You will probably want to deep clean your new residence during the move-in as well. This is even more crucial during the pandemic. It’s also a good idea to purchase moving boxes, tape, and other supplies. In the past, you may resort to reusing old boxes or asking friends and neighbors for their old moving supplies. Unfortunately, we recommend using brand new boxes and disinfecting them by wiping them down to prevent any potential risk to the virus. It’s better to be safe and to keep your health at a top priority which is why we discourage using old boxes during your move. Additional planning steps include calculating travel costs, vehicle maintenance if you are traveling by automobile, and researching moving truck rentals.
Research Moving Companies:
As grandparents likely can’t put as much energy into a large endeavor as moving, it might be a good idea to research moving companies in Los Angeles. Make sure you look for a moving company that complies with Covid-19 guidelines, rules, and regulations. It’s extremely important to keep you and the elders in your community safe. We encourage you to have a clear and open conversation with any moving company you choose about their response to Covid-19, how they have implemented safe new measures, and also your expectations. Examples of guidelines for sanitation and cleanliness include virtual pre-move assessments, customer and team wellness checks, requiring gloves and masks, social distancing measures, and air ventilation. As always, feel free to call the moving company if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Wear Masks at all times:
While your moving company should be wearing masks at all times, it’s equally important for you and your family members to also wear masks. Masks should completely cover your mouth and nose. While a majority of people are encouraged to wear cloth masks to reserve medical and KN95 masks for healthcare workers, according to the World Health Organization, “medical masks are also recommended for these at-risk people when they are in areas of widespread transmission and they cannot guarantee a distance of at least 1 meter from others”. This includes people ages 60+ and those of any age with underlying health conditions. So if you are moving with grandparents, encourage them to wear medical masks for their safety.
Moving, in general, is a lengthy and often stressful process. In such unprecedented times, we know this journey can be even more intimidating especially if you are moving with your grandparents and trying to keep them safe. While it may be a challenge, with the right preparation, tools, and support we want you to know that it is more than possible. If you feel discouraged, speak with your moving company to ensure you have safe support. Your move should still be exciting and enjoyable especially if you plan ahead.