Two WayForth team members discuss senior moving, emotions and how to cope 

Moving can be an emotional experience, especially if you are transitioning to a senior living community. Whether you’re leaving your family house on your own terms or have to find a new place to call home due to a health concern, moving as a senior can bring up a flood of feelings from relief to worry.  

At WayForth, we understand the emotional toll that moving can take on seniors. Every day we work with seniors and their families like yours. Our team members are committed to providing compassion, respect and care to the process of moving.  

We spoke to two people on our team with backgrounds in social work who bring their skills to WayForth. Kara McCallum, VP of Operations and Isabel Wilson, Account Manager were interviewed for their knowledge and experience around the emotions of moving. 

Kara (shown above) has been with WayForth for seven years and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work. Her experience includes working in mental health and with clients of all ages, including those with disabilities. 

Isabel (shown above on the left) brings an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master of Social Work to her position at WayForth. Before joining the team, she worked in hospital case management during the COVID pandemic.  

What are common emotions around moving to a new home?  

Kara: “A move is a critical and stressful situation in someone’s life and some people may have a thin skin or find themselves at an emotional place that they didn’t expect. They can be feeling relief, be frightened, excited or even have some amount of grief leaving a life, people or relationships. This can call come out as anger or sadness and depression.” 

Isabel: “To me, the emotion of moving was eye-opening when I first started at WayForth. In my life, moving always meant a better or bigger place or a choice I was able to make. But for some of our older clients, moving is not always a positive experience. Some people do not want to move. It’s complicated and stressful and it might mean that they have to move out of their family home when they’re not emotionally ready.” 

Kara: “Moving is a raw and stressful time. It can bring out the full spectrum of emotions such as frustration and sadness. Things bubble up. People are tired. People may fight or not be on the same page with family members.   

Isabel: “With our senior clients, there is a high vulnerability with moving. Some people do not want to move; it’s hard to leave a family home. When you have a lifetime of things and memories, it’s very difficult to decide what to take with you, especially when you are downsizing.”  

Learn more about the emotional stages of moving in this article.  

What advice regarding emotion during a move do you have for people? 

Kara: “Everyone has to stay open and communicate. Ask questions. Have good conversations. Be creative in finding solutions.”  

Isabel: “Compassion and patience from the family members and caregivers can go a long way. The person moving can also extend the same patience and kindness to themselves as they would to other people in a stressful situation.” 

Kara: “Always make sure that the person moving is in charge of making choices. Even the smallest choice can make a big difference.”  

Isabel: “Be willing to accept help. It’s not a failure on your part.”  

How can WayForth help?  

Kara: “We can offer understanding and guidance. People get either exhausted and pull back or want to be super involved. WayForth can read the situation and let the person moving know that we have their best interests at heart and we can handle it.”  

Isabel: “We approach moving in a very compassion-forward and people-centric way. People need different things, and we can curate the project to the client. We don’t try to fit the clients into our mold, but rather do the best for them.” 

If you or a family member need help moving or downsizing, WayForth is here to help you. Our moving professionals are experts in downsizing, packing and unpacking, storage services, and more. Contact our team today!