Seniors experiencing a loss of autonomy
Preparing for your friend or family member’s move to a residence
Preparing for your friend or family member’s move to a residence can require time and organization. We’ve prepared a list of things to help you confidently plan for the next stages.
Ask questions at the residence
Getting information from the residence can help you prepare for your family member or friend’s move.
Here is a list of questions you might want to ask, depending on the type of residence the person is moving to.
Planning the move:
- Are there specific instructions for the day of the move? Is there a place to park the moving truck or trailer?
- Who should you speak to when you arrive? Will there be a staff member available to welcome you?
- What should be brought on the day of the move (e.g., list of medications, incontinence products, etc.)?
- Should the person’s personal effects be labelled?
- If the person is moving to an upper floor, do you have to reserve an elevator for moving day?
Layout:
- Can you visit the apartment or room in advance to take measurements and plan the layout and choose the furniture?
- Is it possible to paint the walls and hang pictures?
If your friend or family member is a tenant, help them terminate their lease
The process to terminate the lease depends on the person’s situation.
If your friend or family member is admitted to a residence because they need nursing care or personal assistance services, they can terminate their lease at any time.
However, the landlord must be notified 2 months in advance if the lease is for 12 months or longer, or 1 month in advance if the lease is for less than 12 months or if there is no end date.
The person must also provide three documents:
- A notice of resiliation of the lease. You can use the model provided by the Tribunal administratif du logement: Notice of termination of a lease,
- An attestation showing that the person has been accepted to live permanently in a private seniors’ residence,
- A certficate from a health professional confirming that the person fulfills the requirements to be admitted to a private seniors’ residence and that the state of their health justifies the move.
If the move is not related to the person’s health, read their current lease to find out about prior notices and conditions of resiliation.
Is the moving date the same as the date of renewal of the lease? In that case, simply send a notice of non-renewal to the person’s landlord within the proper time period, which depends on the length of the lease. The lease will terminate when it expires.
Choose a mover or ask friends to help on the big day
If you opt for a professional moving service, start your research as soon as the move is confirmed. To find a trustworthy moving company, ask your friends or family for recommendations. Then ask the companies you selected for estimates to compare services and rates.
Here are a few questions to ask moving companies:
- Does the company have basic insurance to protect possessions during the move?
- Does it have civil liability insurance?
- What payment options are available?
- Can it provide a detailed contract for the services?
- What are the conditions if you have to cancel?
On the day of the move, be sure all the boxes are properly labelled, sealed, and ready to be transported. The movers will help you load them into the truck and unload them at the new residence.
If you are asking friends and family to move the person, ask them to confirm in advance, to be sure they will be available on the day.
Help your friend or family member make a list and sort their possessions
Cleaning out a house or apartment where many years of memories and possessions have accumulated can be hard. Begin the process in advance and take one step at a time; this will help the person make more considered decisions and avoid impulsive choices to keep everything or give it all away.
12 to 6 months before the move
- Draw up an inventory of objects and furniture, room by room.
- Sort items into two categories: essential and non-essential. Then determine what should be given away, sold, thrown out, taken to the ecocentre, and moved to the residence. If possible, encourage the person to take part in the sorting process so they can choose what they want to keep.
- Consider taking photos of items and artworks that the person won’t be able to take with them. You can put them in a virtual or paper photo album so they can look at them later.
3 months before the move
- In preparation for the day of the move, save some time by cleaning the home thoroughly.
- Make sure you empty the freezer and use up all perishable foods.
- If necessary, post the appliances and furniture on resale sites online.
1 month to 2 weeks before the move
Gather the personal items that will be brought to the new residence so that they are easily accessible during and after the move.
Here is a list of such items:
- Medication
- Clothing (labelled)
- Toiletry kit
- Personal items (e.g., incontinence products)
- Emergency telephone numbers
- Medical insurance card
- Official documents
- Hearing aids, walkers, canes, etc.
Pack kitchen and bathroom essentials into boxes, as well as everything else that will be moved to the residence. Don’t forget to label the boxes clearly.
Don’t forget to submit a change of address
Help your friend or family member with the address change process by updating their contact information with the following services and government bodies:
- Government departments and bodies (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, Retraite Québec, Revenu Québec, Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, etc.)
- Professional services (family doctor, pharmacist, lawyer, notary, etc.),
- Public utilities (Hydro-Québec, oil, gas, etc.)
- Telephone, cable, and Internet access companies
- Hospitals and CLSCs
- Insurance companies
- Rental companies (water heater, furnace, etc.)
- Municipality (municipal taxes) and school board (school tax)
- Financial institutions
- Car dealers
- Clubs and memberships
- Family and friends
Rehome your friend or family member’s pets, if necessary
If the person has one or more pets that can’t move to the residence, you might have to take care of moving them, rehoming them, or taking them to a shelter or the SPCA.
Help your friend or family member make their new place their own
Work with your friend or family member to add a personal touch to their new home.
Choose items and do things that will give them comfort and create a familiar ambiance. Lay out the furniture, decorate, and add details that will make their new home pleasant.
Take their personal tastes and needs into account. Working together, you’ll be able to create a space where the person will feel at ease, and this will promote their well-being and safety. It will also make this transition easier.
Bring mementos
- Bring things that have meaning for your friend or family member.
- Include souvenirs from trips, family photos, collections that are dear to them and that tell a story about their life, photo albums, books they have read and loved, meaningful pictures, etc.
Create a warm and welcoming space
- Try to use lighting that is warm and welcoming, such as natural light. If a room is dark, you can add strings of lights, ceiling fixtures, lamps that cast a pleasant light, etc.
- Decorate with cushions, rugs, and curtains, and use patterns and colours that add life to the rooms.
- If the person has mobility issues, be careful not to overcrowd the rooms. Carefully choose accessories that can be put away easily.
- If a room is small, avoid overwhelming it with furniture or decorations; use a few accessorities that will brighten up the person’s surroundings.
- Plants have a beneficial effect on physical and mental health. Exposure to plants can help a person recover from stressful events more quickly.
- Why not paint the walls or put up wallpaper that the person likes?
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The information presented on this page is not a legal opinion or legal advice. This page explains in a general way the law that applies in Quebec. To obtain a legal opinion or legal advice on your personal situation, consult a legal professional.