Helping Seniors Move

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Moving is a difficult procedure when you’re young, so imagine how challenging it is when you are a senior citizen and you can no longer move as agilely as you did in your youth.  Not to mention, as you get older you develop a set routine and it becomes harder to adapt to change.  If you are helping Seniors Move or elderly adult in their advanced years move in the Chicago area, check out some of these tips to make the transition an easier experience for everyone.

Explanation

It’s important to explain to your senior citizen what is happening.  It is imperative to tell them that they are moving several months ahead of time so they can become accustomed to the idea.  It may be a new apartment, or a new house, or an assisted living facility.  Whatever it is, it is most likely different from what their current living arrangement is.  Walk them through what living in their new place is going to be like.  Also explain to them what is going to happen on moving day.  Once the movers come in everything will be happening quickly.  This might be overwhelming for the elderly if they do not know what is going on.  Also, it gives them a semblance of control over this change.  They will be able bring up some ideas of specific needs that you can keep in mind.

Early Start

It’s always smart to start packing early.  It gives you more time to sort through your stuff and decide what you want to keep and what you want to throw away.  After living for so long, it is very likely that things pile up.  It will take a while for your senior to get through all the clutter they have collected throughout the years.  Starting early is especially vital if they are moving to a smaller location.  A lot is going to have to be thrown out, donated, or stored away.

Medication

If your senior citizen is not on some sort of medication then he or she is very healthy and I applaud his/her health.  Unfortunately, as the body ages the need for medication arises and it is more likely than not that your older adult has a cocktail of pills they need to take every day.  Keep the medication with you.  Pill bottles can be easily lost in mess that is moving and packing and you don’t want to be ripping open boxes if an emergency happens.  Also, check out the new area before the move.  Find out where the local drugstores and doctors are.  Once your elderly person has properly moved in, you can show them where to fill out their prescriptions and the way to the doctor’s office for appointments.

Who Are Your Movers?

Who your movers are can be very important.  Let them meet the workers and talk to them.  It will help any anxiety they have about strangers handling their things.  They can also help with reassuring your senior citizen by explain their procedures.  Most importantly, do not let your older adult do any heavy lifting.  They are at greater risk for serious injury, so avoid the possibilities of any broken bones or dislocated joints by letting the movers do their job.

It’ll Be Okay

Everyone needs reassurance sometimes and that goes for the elderly as well.  The flurry of activity on moving day will most likely overwhelm them.  Stay by their side and make sure they are okay.  Comfort them when you need to and talk them through what is going on.  Half the panic is usually a result of not knowing.

The Professionals Moving Specialists

Here at The Professionals Moving Specialists, customer service is our number one priority.  We understand the stress of moving and it is our job to make it as minimal as possible.  We will work with you and your senior citizen so that the experience will be as comfortable as possible.  We can help pack and unpack your items and we will coordinate every step of the process with you.  With multiple awards and great yelp reviews under our belt, you know we are the movers you want when you are moving in the Chicago area.

How To Avoid Moving Scams

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Scams are everywhere.  Internet scams, phone scams, bank scams, get rich quick scams, etc.  With today’s technology, it is getting harder and harder to tell what situation is a scam and what isn’t.  This goes for moving as well.

Nowadays, everything is searched for online.  Because of this impersonal form of communication, it gets harder and harder to tell if the business is as real and upfront as it claims to be.  Here are a number of waysand tips How To Avoid Moving Scams in Chicago, IL

Inspections

After giving you a quote online or on the phone, a real, licensed business will always have an in home consultation.  Why?  Because you can say you have a certain amount of stuff, but it translates differently once it’s all packed.  Experts are able to see this and calculate accordingly.  They may ask questions about your furniture and what may need to be disassembled and reassembled.  The estimate they end up giving you will be as close as possible to what they charge you.

Scam movers, on the other hand, will not give an in-home consultation.  Instead, they will quote a price over the phone or online and low-ball it.  Though everyone loves to save money, you would do well to be a bit cynical.  If it’s too good to be true, it almost always is.

Payments

Legitimate moving companies will ask for payment after the move.  That way, you are safe in your knowledge that nothing is broken or lost.  And if something is, the moving company has insurance and paperwork for you to fill out.

On the other hand, rogue movers will do one of two things.  They will demand payment upfront.  Once you hand over the money, they no longer have to worry about treating your belongings well.  If anything breaks, you can’t take it out of the money you paid them or withhold paying.  Or they will give you an incredibly low estimate and raise it substantially once your belongings are on the truck.  They will force you pay the amount as they hold you items hostage.

Paperwork

As a legitimate business, there will always be paperwork to fill out.  There are federal regulations when it comes to moving and all the rules have to be abided by.  You should always be given a “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet if you are moving out of state.  For instate, there are various insurance forms and contracts.

If you mover has little to no paperwork for you to go through, they are doing it wrong.

Location

Movers usually have a place where their offices are located.  After all, the trucks have to gather somewhere and most companies offer storage services and packing supplies as well.  There is usually an address on the website you can go to.

If there is no address, we weary that the movers are not legitimately licensed.  If there is, you might want to visit.  The state of the office can tell you a lot.  Or maybe the office doesn’t even exist and the address is a local lake!

Company Name

What else is there to look for?  The company name of course.  When your call is answered, the first thing out after “hello” should be the company’s name.  If it’s not and something generic like “moving company” is used instead, there is a high chance that the business is not legal.  Also, look at the trucks.  Legitimate moving companies all have their company name and logo on the side of the truck.  It is an indication that it is family owned and part of a fleet of trucks meant specifically for moving.

The Professionals Moving Specialists

Now that you know all the signs of an illegal moving company, See Chicago Moving Company!  The Professionals Moving Specialist is based in Chicago, IL .  Our moving Company is a legitimate business, properly licensed, bonded, and insured.  If you have any questions or worries about moving, call us and ask!  Our aim is to provide the best service for you during the stressful time of your move.

When Couples Move In Together

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So your significant other is moving in.  You’re ready to start a new chapter of your lives together and this consists of coexisting in the same home.  And you guys have chosen your home for whatever reason.  Maybe it’s bigger or maybe it has a better view or maybe couples spend the most time there anyway.  Whatever the reason, there are some things that need to be before your couples move in together.

The Closet

The worse feeling is looking into your closet and knowing you have too much clothing, but never having anything to wear.  Well, you’re about to have a bit less.  There is no way you are going to fit both your clothes and your partner’s in the same closet considering the state it is in now.  This of course means it’s time to clean it out.  Throw or donate anything you haven’t worn in a year.  Old sweatshirts, t-shirts with holes in them, faded jeans, whatever it may be.

Hide Your Stuff

Or not, it’s up to you.  It depends on how comfortable you are around your partner.  But remember, the only kept secrets in a relationship are the bad ones.  So maybe you’re not ready to show your significant other your collection of limited edition signed Lord of the Rings novels or the pristine condition miniature figurines of all the Sailor Scouts that you usually keep in a glass case.  That’s okay, for now, but they will find it eventually.  There are only a number of hiding places in a house.

Fridge

Food is one of the most important things in…well, life really.  You and your partner may not have matching taste buds.  Maybe he’s allergic to nuts or she’s a huge fan of red meat.  Maybe you like tofu and have an affinity to cayenne pepper most shudder at. Whatever it is, you’ll have to reach a compromise and accommodate your partner’s taste as well as your own.

Chores

You know the drill.  You’ve had enough roommates in this lifetime to know how important it is to split up the chores.  I know you probably imagined endless cuddling in front of the TV and romantic take-out dinners when you both come from work exhausted.  You’ll still have those.  Except you also have to figure out who takes out the trash, who cleans the bathroom, who does the laundry, who washes the dishes, and more!  Keeping a home inhabitable is no easy task!  Especially when double the people means double the stuff and double the waste.

Enjoy It

Not that you don’t already enjoy each other’s company, but there’s just something about living together.  There’s no need to wake up early in the morning to go home and change before work.  Instead you can sleep in and know that everything is in your shared room, bathroom, home.

Read more moving tips from Chicago Movers The Professionals Moving Specialists

Finding Internet During a Move in Chicago, IL

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Nowadays, we are addicted to the internet.  We have the internet on our laptops, our phones, our eReaders, our mp3 players, etc.  Check your wi-fi connection and about 20 different routers pop up.  Using the internet is so ingrained in us when we lose it, we become lost and disconnected?  What do you do when you can’t look up gifs of flying cats or update our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter every 3 minutes?

In fact, the lack of internet can very well be one of the worst things about moving in Chicago, IL.  Forget about the mess of packing.  What’s the point if you can’t tweet about it?  Well, during that week or so you don’t have internet, check out some Wi-Fi hotspots to hold you over.

Fast Food Restaurants

Most specifically, go to McDonald’s.  Yeah, the food isn’t exactly healthy, but they have free Wi-Fi and that’s what counts.  Krispy Kreme has free Wi-Fi as well.  Other places like Wendy’s and Burger king operate on a store to store basis.  Some provide free internet while others don’t.

Bookstores

We all know Barnes & Nobles has free Wi-Fi and that’s basically the only big name book store left.  They also have a Starbucks and the workers won’t give you the death glare if you sit for hours between the shelves browsing the internet.

Parks

Wi-Fi is literally inescapable.  The issue isn’t finding it, but finding a public one.  Many parks now have Wi-Fi.  Also, if you are an Optimum customer, you can access their Wi-Fi at any time.  And of course AT&T Wi-Fi is everywhere as well.

Libraries

With libraries, it’s a toss-up if they have Wi-Fi or not.  The older, less modern ones most likely will not.  However, libraries are still guaranteed to have internet.  You’ll just need a library card which you should have anyway.

Coffee Shops

Most coffee shops have Wi-Fi and we all know for certain Starbucks does.  As long as it’s not busy hour, a coffee shop is an ideal place to relax and catch up with everything you’ve missed on the internet. Some places to check out in Chicago are Ch'ava and Metropolis Coffee Co.

Hotels

This is only really applicable if you are staying at a hotel between your move.  Most hotels have complimentary internet.  It can be either Wi-Fi or through an Ethernet cord, but either way, at least you’re connected back to the world!

Internet Cafes

How can we forget the best place of all?  Internet cafes!  With the increasing usage of Wi-Fi and home modems, internet cafes are becoming rarer and rarer.  That’s not to say they are completely gone though.  You can still find the occasional café here and there, serving food to intense gamers playing Starcraft.  Their internet is usually pretty fast and there are sometimes even partitions to separate you from the person next to you, giving you privacy.  The only con is that you have to pay according to how much time you spent on the internet. Try out Biznet or Chicago Computer Club.

Moving Green in Chicago

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You’re in Chicago and you’re moving, but relocation is no excuse to forget about the environment.  With our new found awareness of the world’s condition, why not implement some eco-friendly moving techniques and do your part to save the Earth? Moving Green in Chicago does not have to be a hard or costly one.

Greenbox

At The Professionals Moving Specialists, we have the Greenbox moving Containers to help you be more environmentally friendly.  Rather than using cardboard boxes, you can rent plastic containers from us to pack your stuff in.  This is both less expensive and more convenient.  Rather than wasting money buying boxes, tape, and packing paper, you just need plastic basins and maybe some bubble wrap. These containers are returned to us after you’ve unpacked.  That way, you don’t have to be bothered the clutter of unfolded cardboard boxes waiting to be thrown out or recycled.  If you do use cardboard boxes, though, always remember to recycle.

Throw It Out

Something you can do to help before you even start packing is to get rid of things you won’t need.  Bringing along items you will eventually throw out anyway is a waste of space and a waste of gas.  So go through everything you own first.  Recycle and donate what you can and throw away the rest.  You’ll be surprised at how much clutter you have lying around.

Wrap It Up

Bubble wrap and wrapping paper aren’t the only things you can use when covering your fragile items.  Reuse old newspapers.  You can also use old towels and bed sheets you were going to throw away.  It’ll give a layer of softness to cushion your plates and vases and while it’s heavier than bubble wrap, there are rarely stories of marine animals chocking on newspapers.

Clean Green

The cleaning products you use can make a difference as well.  Environmentally friendly soaps and sprays can be found almost anywhere.  Go to your local Target or Wal-Mart to pick up some before you start your moving out cleaning.  Not only is it better for the environment, but the lack of chemicals is beneficial for you as well.

Movers

Go the extra mile and check to see if your movers are going green as well.  Some own bio-diesel trucks and use moving pads made out of recycled materials.  Like The Professionals Moving Specialists, a lot of movers offer the option of renting packing crates.  Check out all of your options before choosing so you can be as environmentally friendly as possible.