Seniors on the Move, It's about compassion

How many people have had the chance to sit with a family while they decide the fate of their elderly family member. Well I have and it has been a humbling experience to say the least.

I have been a realtor for six years, and during that time I spent 2 years as director of sales and marketing for a retirement/assissted living community in coastal Maine. As a result of that work I am now dedicated to helping families and seniors sell their homes and move on to the next stage of life.

What I realized is that no matter what age you are, selling a home is stressful and selling a home you have lived in for 40 years is traumatic.! The feelings that an 80 plus person is dealing with are overwhelming and the sense of loss is great. That person who has lived a long time has experienced so much already, maybe a loss of a spouse, a child, health issues, money. Having someone on their side, guiding, and counseling, being patient, compassionate and letting them know it will all be good is the best thing for them. That is where a knowlegdeable and compassionate realtor comes in. Folks this is not easy!!

I have a degree and a background in social work which makes me wired for those things that the elderly population needs,which is to meet them where they are at, go at their pace, and always listen. They have a lot to say.

After I moved one gentleman into the retirement community he told me he wished he had done this years ago so that he could enjoy more of what there was to offer. In other words he wished he had sold his house years before and relaxed in his new home and let others do the work. He is very happy there today.

Many seniors are sitting at home alone and worrying about their properties while their adult children are sitting at work worrying about their parents living alone in their homes. Not only that but many elderly are no longer safe living alone, and although there are great programs out there to protect them the burden of their living situation causes more stress than we can imagine. Simple tasks become momumental, independence is no longer theirs, and loss of dignity is huge.

I would like to work with these families to assist them in selling their properties and make a smooth transition, hold their hands, tell them it will be o.k. and watch their faces relax. That is what they need. They have lived a life time and want and need to still be as independent as possible. That is the goal. Independence, dignity, choices.