When seniors get together and socialize, grandchildren are often a topic of conversation. So is commiserating that "our kids don't want our stuff." It's common that homes are filled with a lifetime of accumulated possessions. Deciding what to do with it all is an issue for many seniors. And, the next generation typically doesn't want shelves of knickknacks and collectibles, silver that needs polishing, dishes that can't go in the dishwasher and family mementos that have been stored in closets and basements for a few decades.
Decluttering has become a popular term. There are many resources and businesses that help people organize and declutter. A house full of belongings can be especially stressful and burdensome when people decide to downsize, move to be closer to family or health issues force a move. This is even more stressful when the move happens in a crisis.
Professional "move managers" can provide valuable assistance and help people better manage the challenging and emotional process to sift, sort, organize, donate, move and dispose of possessions. The National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM) is a professional association of move managers who assist clients of all ages and life situations. A focus is helping people, especially seniors, transition to another place. They also help people make changes in their current home to age in place or prepare for a future move. Members of NASMM must have general business liability insurance and meet strict requirements related to training and adherence to a code of ethics.
While there are often multiple businesses in large cities, smaller communities typically have only one business certified by NASMM. Golden Bridges, headquartered in Quincy, is the only move management business certified by NASMM that serves the Springfield area.
Suzanne Ellerbrock is president of this women-owned business. Ellerbrock, Susan Scholz and Nancy Waters founded Golden Bridges in 2013 after winning $10,000 in a business plan competition sponsored by the Quincy Chamber of Commerce. Over the past 11 years, they have served 450 clients. Terri Hempstead is now the Springfield liaison for Golden Bridges.
"We provide help and expertise to people who are overwhelmed with the task of downsizing or moving. By working with them, and honoring their decisions, we enable them to live life better." This is Golden Bridges' specialty as stated on its website.
Sometimes there are no family members who are available, able or willing to help. Sometimes the client doesn't want family members involved. The decision-making process can be very emotional. The Golden Bridges team provides professional expertise and an independent perspective with no emotional attachments. They can help clients document the significance of items, so family members have that information. "We help keep relationships intact," said Ellerbrock.
A time-consuming part of the process is helping the client make difficult decisions about what to keep and what will be moved, given to family members, donated, sold, recycled, shredded, pitched, etc. If the move is local, a team visits the new destination to take measurements and review the layout to propose a floorplan template to the client. If the destination is remote, a floorplan is requested. The move managers produce a plan for furniture placement and help the client select items that will fit according to ADA standards.
Our motto is, "We provide solutions in times of transition," says Hempstead. "What makes Golden Bridges unique in the Quincy-to-Springfield region is the 'soup-to-nuts' scope of our services. As professional move managers we solve whatever needs to be done."
Things that differentiate a move management company include being licensed, bonded and insured; having professional certifications; and coordinating all elements of the timeline for the downsize and move. Services can include scheduling and coordinating a moving company, arranging for an auctioneer, determining where to donate items and unpacking and "settling-in" at the new home. The goal is to repurpose as much as possible. The team ensures all the items get to their destination.
The timeline varies. Golden Bridges works with some clients for a couple of weeks and others for more than a year. Golden Bridges determines one all-inclusive fee for specific services following a 1 to 1½-hour free consultation to understand the client's goals and intentions. Anyone can request a free consultation. In some cases, this may be all a person needs to get started on their own.
Ellerbrock says that many people must make decisions in crisis mode when something happens that triggers the necessity for a move. She recommends seniors start thinking about this well in advance, to make decisions while they can and ensure their wishes can be carried out. For many a big fear is their children putting everything into a dumpster.
What we hear all the time is, "I never knew such a thing as senior move management existed," said Hempstead. "It's a service business that is growing very fast in large cities, and we are bringing it to Springfield." For more information go to https://goldenbridges4you.com/ or email [email protected].
Leaving the old family home
One person's moving experience
Becky Grummon is a client of Golden Bridges. She recently moved from a home that had been in her family for 66 years, filled with six households of accumulated possessions. She learned about Golden Bridges through someone from her church while she was looking into places to move. She says if she had tried to do this on her own, she likely would not have moved by now and would be hibernating in the family home.
After an initial consultation in January, she signed a contract in February. A team from Golden Bridges came to the house weekly and worked with Grummon to help her choose what to move to her new home and what to do with all the rest. They helped her select a mover, packed and labeled boxes, and coordinated positioning of furniture on moving day. They helped sort and organize what would be auctioned, donated and disposed. Grummon said it was a big relief for Golden Bridges to make all the arrangements with the various vendors so she didn't have to. "They have all the connections and resources to organize and oversee everything," said Grummon. "They are full-service and beyond." The result was an empty house and garage with bare walls. She moved to her new duplex in March and sold the Springfield-area family home in May. She is happy with her decision to downsize and move to independent living at Lewis Memorial Christian Village. She has no regrets about the things she let go of and is grateful for the help provided by Golden Bridges. – Karen Witter
Golden Bridges is presenting a series of free educational programs. The September program was about decluttering. The Oct. 16 program is "Downsizing to Move" at 10 a.m. at the Jane Hay Sales & Staging Team at The Real Estate Group, 3001 W. White Oaks Drive. The Nov. 15 program is "Safe at Home" at The United Methodist Center, 5900 S. Second St. Programs are free but registration is requested. Call 888/922-6368, ext. 6 to reserve your place.
