Moving Aging Parents? What a Professional Mover Learned Moving His Own Parents

Helping an aging parent move can be one of the most emotional experiences a family goes through. In this episode of Real Estate Connections, Mary Foerster speaks with Ryan Hegarty, Director of Residential Sales at Olympia, about his personal experience helping move his own parents twice. Ryan is a moving professional with more than 16 years of experience, but he says moving his parents gave him a new perspective on how difficult relocation can be for families. They talk about: -Downsizing a longtime family home -Making decisions about belongings -Moving parents closer to family -The emotional side of leaving a home full of memories -Decluttering and preparing a home for sale -Why the actual moving day is often the easiest part -What a move manager does -How move managers can help older adults and adult children -Assisted living, memory care, and senior relocation support -The difference between professional moving services and DIY container moves -Why listening is the most important part of client service Ryan also shares why families may benefit from working with a move manager, especially when a parent is downsizing, transitioning into assisted living, moving into memory care, or relocating closer to adult children. Resources mentioned: Olympia https://olympiamoving.com/ This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical, legal, financial, or real estate advice. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Real Estate Connections 00:18 Meet Ryan Hegarty 01:20 Why Ryan’s parents’ move was personal 02:03 Ryan’s first move with his parents 03:54 Selling the family home in Waltham 05:04 Downsizing, decluttering, and letting go 06:16 Why the move itself is the easy part 07:09 The emotional weight of leaving a family home 08:27 When health changes affect a move 09:34 Becoming a partner in your parents’ transition 11:02 Moving parents closer to family 12:11 Trust, family roles, and decision-making 14:18 What is a move manager? 15:24 How move managers help older adults 16:31 The mental exhaustion of moving 18:14 How move managers are paid 19:28 DIY moving and storage containers 21:19 Can professional moving be affordable? 24:08 The difference between moving services 25:01 Why listening matters most 27:23 How trust is built during a move 28:16 Final thoughts