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When his beloved 90-year-old cousin Sidney needed to move from her New Jersey home into a nearby independent living community last spring, Paul Mesard faced a dilemma. Mesard, 62, lives in Denver, and it seemed nearly impossible to take off enough time to pack up a house that Sidney had lived in for 35 years and relocate her.

But Mesard came across a solution: Hire a senior move manager — a professional who specializes in helping older adults move from their longtime homes and resettle elsewhere.

A move manager and her team guided Sidney through every room, closet and drawer, quizzing her gently on what to keep or give away. After the move, they unpacked and set up her new apartment. The entire process took just two days.

“They were really focused, so it wasn’t a trip down memory lane,” Mesard said. “You’re paying them by the hour, so it’s just about business.”

Helpful in many ways

Those moving for the first time in decades can be overwhelmed by the task of emptying out an attic or basement full of boxes. And many of us have physical conditions, or recent knee or hip replacements, that can make moving difficult.

Some of us also face a major living transition, often into a smaller apartment in a care facility or to an adult child’s house in another part of the country.

“Sometimes you have to move because it’s not safe, or affordable, or feasible for you to stay where you are,” said Tracy Greene Mintz, a social worker and long-term-care consultant in Redondo Beach, Calif. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not hard and it’s not sad.”

Senior move managers, some of whom may have social work backgrounds or special training, can address these emotional minefields.

Some serve as neutral third parties divvying up family possessions. Others acknowledge the pain of saying goodbye to treasured items.

Clients always have final say, but some managers find ways to help ease the transition.

One manager painstakingly photographed and recreated the display of a collection of glass figure miniatures for a cabinet in a client’s new apartment, said Susan Devaney, president of the Mavins Group, a move-management company in Westfield, N.J.

What to expect

Move managers typically charge hourly rates between $55 and $100, depending on the type of service.

Managers pack boxes or organize an entire home, tagging items for family, charity or the new residence, and keeping out-of-town adult children in the loop by video chatting as they work.

A typical move, including planning and consultation, takes three to five weeks, Devaney said. Managers can work on short notice, too.

Managers also review the floor plan for a new apartment and help decide where the old furniture will fit. And they can recommend vetted moving companies, and firms that might buy unwanted items.

The cost to hire a manager to move from a house to a two-bedroom independent living apartment may range from $2,500 to $5,000, not including moving company costs, Devaney said.

You can find an accredited move manager through the National Association of Senior Move Managers, the industry’s professional association.

A comforting service

Vera Lasser, 79, decided to hire a senior move manager when she and her husband, Norman, 84, needed help to move from their New Jersey home of nearly 49 years to a continuing-care community in Massachusetts.

“The house was an absolute mess,” she said. “We had collected so many papers and so much junk over the years.”

Devaney’s firm encouraged them to let go of some things and to make a memory box to save meaningful items. The couple wanted to keep a large baker’s rack they loved, but the move managers helped them realize that it wouldn’t fit in their new, smaller space.

Having help as she sorted and made decisions, Vera said, was comforting during a stressful time.

© 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.