My heart broke as I watched what my parents went through when their parents passed. I especially remember the difficulty they had moving the surviving parent and downsizing their belongings. As I look back I realize it is especially difficult for a family to make those decisions alone. Emotions run high and the grief we feel can be overwhelming. It was even more difficult for my grandmothers. When they lost their husbands, they lost the very person they trusted to make major life decisions. I wish there had been someone other than family to help them through the process.

My mother also cared for my great aunt for many years, flying back and forth on weekends, while working full time. Auntie had no children and had previously lost her husband. We wished there was someone local who could have checked on her and communicated her needs to the family. When she passed at 94, I flew to be with my mom and to help. My mom was emotionally exhausted. She and I sat for hours all day and all night trying to sift through my aunt’s belongings. It was overwhelming and very painful to see my Mom go through it.

During these transitions, many seniors feel they are losing their independence and downsizing means parting with treasures they had accumulated over a lifetime. Their perception is that their children are “taking charge” and "making" them get rid of items they really want to keep. To complicate matters, this is often done in a hurried manner, because their children only have so much time off work or live out of town.

Recognizing a growing need to help people through these types of situations, I researched the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). I discovered that becoming a Senior Move Manager (SMM) requires high ethics and official certification. Once complete, NASMM provides a wealth of information to make sure the proper care and emotional and physical support of the client is first and foremost. SMM’s are available all over the United States, however, there were none in the Permian Basin.
 
My husband and I, through research and much prayer, decided this was an opportunity for me to save other families from going through what we had experienced with our grandparents. All seniors deserve compassion and respect and most of all, dignity and confidence as they move into their future.

Senior Move Management of the Permian Basin, LLC
Paula Merrill SMM    432.349.3263
paula@senior-move.com