Moving can be a daunting task for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for seniors who have accumulated years of memories and possessions. Not to mention they are moving out of homes that they have been in for 20+ years. WayForth is a move management company with a heart for seniors and recognizes the challenges that come along with moving. 

We have made it our mission to help seniors move with ease and confidence. Our dedicated team approaches each move with empathy and understanding, working one-on-one with seniors and their families to create customized plans that fit their unique needs. From packing and sorting to storage services, WayForth takes care of everything so that seniors can focus on the next chapter of their lives. 

If you’re a senior who is considering a move, whether to downsize or relocate to be closer to friends and family, then WayForth is here for you. We understand how overwhelming the process of packing and moving can be, especially with all the additional stressors in life that come along with retirement.  

That’s why we take away the guesswork through our comprehensive suite of services designed specifically for seniors—all thanks to our mission: to provide quality care and logistics coordination that makes transitioning easier during times of change. Our friendly team guides clients every step of the way so they don’t have to worry about anything except settling in at their new home. 

WayForth’s Origins 

WayForth’s co-founders, Pete Shrock, Chief People Officer and Craig Shealy, CEO, started the company in 2016 to help people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and other family members navigate their move. To understand these individuals, their families, and their needs required a lot of time and patience. With backgrounds in financial and social services, they both had experience helping people through difficult periods and specifically taking the burden off the family members.  

In the beginning, the vision for WayForth was to help people during difficult transitions out of their homes and rewrite the narrative about the moving process. Shrock shares, “For WayForth, it was meeting the client where they are at, their personal situation and building around that, so that when they were moving it didn’t feel like it was happening ‘to them’ it was happening ‘for them.’” Shealy adds that it is about the customer and being their support system, “It had to be a people business in order for it to work.”  

By helping the senior move, our team takes on the emotions and hardships that our clients feel. Our team dedicates themselves to helping clients through the messy parts of transition and making them feel supported and taken care of. 

What Sets WayForth Apart 

WayForth’s senior move management team is dedicated to ensuring that every part of the moving process is taken care of. From downsizing to unpacking your belongings, WayForth is here to help take the stress and hassle out of your transition, and how do they do that? The employees who work tirelessly with our clients on a daily basis.  

Each member of the move management team is there to treat items with respect and decency. WayForth recruits its teams from all different kinds of backgrounds. Our Client Guide Managers, are there for every step of the move, from the downsizing to the settling in. Due to the personal nature of the work, WayForth’s team members must have a positive mindset, and be able to produce tactical solutions. Social workers, mothers/fathers, and people that show compassion towards others, are the ones who make up the team at WayForth. 

Moving is categorized as one of the most stressful things in life, and our team must be able to empathize and carry the clients through an emotionally-taxing journey. When seniors leave their homes of 20+ years, there is a lot of emotional baggage that will impede them from a smooth transition. WayForth’s Kara McCallum, VP Operations, says our teams must be able to adapt and think creatively to help our clients, “It’s about making sure that we are encouraging them throughout to make really good decisions, and make sure we tell them when they aren’t making good decisions.” WayForth connects with the client’s emotionality of moving and holds their hand through the process. 

Our Services 

We understand the unique needs and challenges that come with senior relocation, and work closely with each client to provide personalized solutions that meet their individual needs. With our compassionate care and expertise, we make senior moving a smooth and hassle-free experience. 

Space planning 

There are several factors to moving, and one that often is overlooked is how your new space will accommodate your items and furniture. Questions like; what goes where and will all my furniture fit, are often pushed to the side in the stress of moving. With WayForth, we help you answer those questions before you move.  

We take a complete inventory of all your items like furniture, art and even books. And discuss which items you are keeping and where you would like those items to be located in your new space.  

Then, we will put together a space plan to accommodate the items previously discussed to create a space that is comfortable, functional, and beautiful for you. With this process, we ensure that you are only taking items that will fit into your new space, while also accommodating your needs and desires. 

This floor planning process is exceptionally helpful to seniors moving into senior living communities because they tend to downsize and require accommodations such as open spaces for mobility assistance, while also including items needed for comfort. WayForth’s team of experts discusses all needs and desires with the seniors or with their family to best make a home that brings happiness and provides a safe living space.  

Downsizing 

Roughly 51% of retirees 50 and older move into smaller homes after retirement. WayForth’s professionals assist seniors and their families to make logistical decisions on how to best downsize their belongings to fit their smaller spaces. 

WayForth’s VP of Business Development Kiera DesChamps, knows that downsizing is an important aspect of moving seniors because it can’t be rushed. “It’s more than simply moving pieces of furniture from here to there. There are stories, memories, and experiences attached to each item that we touch. We should pause and honor those memories while supporting their decisions in the transition.” 

Seniors often leave their homes of 20+ years which comes with great emotional attachment to the home and the belongings inside. WayForth’s team must navigate the emotional mind-field of every belonging. Our team recognizes that items that may seem inconsequential – dish clothes or couch pillows, are just as important to them as their beds or clothes.  

Emphasizing open communication with the seniors and their families is essential for our team of professional organizers. We know the emotional aspects of going through belongings and work hard to keep the important things with you or find a sustainable way to store them.  

Moving is an emotional process, to learn more about the emotional aspects of moving read our blog here.  

Packing & Moving 

After you decide what you are taking to the new home or senior living community, it’s time to pack it all up in boxes and get it there. Packing and moving boxes is physically demanding for seniors, and their families can find it difficult to find time to pack and transport for them. WayForth helps with both of those aspects. 

Our team of professionals are trained to properly secure your items in moving boxes and move them from your previous residence to your new home. We care for your items as if they were our own, and with the help of the inventory list provided previously, we will keep track of your items and properly transport them. 

Unpacking & Settling In 

The senior client is all moved in, but now what? Where will that family photo go? Where will their favorite sitting chair reside? What medications or toiletries are needed in an accessible location? WayForth helps ease seniors’ minds by considering their needs and unpacking their new residence with them in mind.  

We don’t stop at just moving seniors’ items from one place to the next, we also unpack to the specifications of their family and the senior to ensure an easy move in. We use the space planning blueprint, or follow the previous residence, or any specifications on where items are preferred, and create the perfect residence for seniors.  

This process is essential when moving clients with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Moving individuals with Alzheimer’s from one place to another can cause “Transfer Trauma” which results in anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and other negative symptoms. Our goal at WayForth is to decrease the amount of transfer trauma on these clients by making their new residences familiar and comfortable as possible.  

Pictures are hung up or arranged, medications are properly stored, and we even make the bed! Our settling in service gives the senior or their family the chance to decide where everything goes and saves them the stress and hassle of doing it themselves.  

Clear-Out and Prep for Sale 

To prepare for a move into a senior living community, seniors often sell their homes. To get the best price on their homes, their homes need to be properly fixed and staged for prospective buyers. However, with all the other things happening during this transition, worrying about staging their home is not always on the forefront of their minds. 

WayForth wants to help seniors get the most value from their beloved home. Our moving professionals, space planners and organizers work with real estate agents to ensure that everything is ready for a successful sale.  

This process includes decluttering, deep cleaning, donation runs, staging, and storage options while your house is on the market. Our professionals ensure that your home is in tip-top shape to present to potential buyers for a successful sale.   

Storage Services  

We acquire a lot of items in our lives, and seniors are often the keepers of family heirlooms and family memorabilia. When they downsize, there are some items that they cannot part with, or they want to give to their family or friends later. Storage is the perfect solution.  

WayForth offers short and long-term storage options, so whether you need to hold it during your move or hold it for an indeterminate amount of time, we have the capacity. Our storage facilities are temperature controlled to ensure that precious items are not ruined during storage. And, we have a special tracking and retrieval system, meaning that you can access your items whenever you are ready.   

For more information on WayForth’s storage services, read our blog here! 

Hauling Services 

We accumulate a lot of items in our lifetime. Seniors moving out of their home of 20+ years, require assistance getting rid of items that they are not putting in storage, or bringing to their new residence. WayForth’s hauling services are here to get rid of your large items for you and we coordinate donation runs. 

No more struggling with heavy furniture – leave it to us. WayForth does the hard work and takes care of that large furniture and moves it for you. Additionally, if there is anything that is not going to the new residence or into storage, we help coordinate donations, so you don’t have to worry about it!

Peace of Mind 

Senior move management is an emotional and rewarding job that our company takes on every day. When working with seniors and their families, we must ensure that everyone involved is comfortable, communicated with, and valued. Due to the nature of senior moves, we often communicate  with their adult children or family members who need assistance moving their senior parent or family member.  

Moving a family member, while still juggling their daily life and responsibilities is not easy. Our goal is to carry that burden, help them feel supported during this emotional process, and make them feel comfortable. One wouldn’t think that the moving process could be positive, but Ann’s second move with WayForth was just that.  

At WayForth, we strive to make every move a hassle- and stress-free process, not just for the senior but for the family members, as well. Moving is seen as one of the most stressful things we do in life, but with the support of our comprehensive, personalized solutions alongside our compassionate team members WayForth can get you through this adventure.  

WayForth’s goal is not just to move you but move you forward. Even the name ‘WayForth’ was chosen with the goal in mind to create a way forward. From the words of co-founder, Pete Shrock, “WayForth sounds like a movement, a direction. The will of our team is to go forward and help the client feel like they are cared for.”