Assisted living move-in day checklist, and the first week after
Plan a calm move-in day on paper before your parent moves into assisted living. Then use the first week to help the new place start to feel like home.
- Set up the apartment a day or two early if allowed: bed made, chair and lamp in place, photos up.
- On the day, one family member stays with your parent the whole time. Others handle the movers and the last items.
- Hand over medications and paperwork exactly as the community instructed, and meet the key staff.
- Share a meal in the dining room, then leave with a clear "I'll be back on Thursday".
- In the first week, keep contact short and regular. Fix small things, try two activities and ask about the first care plan meeting.
Set up the apartment two days before
If the community allows early setup, move the furniture before your parent arrives. Make the bed with their own bedding. Place the chair and reading lamp where they were at home. A photo of the old bedroom helps with this. Hang the photos where your parent can see them from the bed and the chair. Test the TV, the phone and the call button, and put a nightlight on the path to the bathroom.
The move-in day checklist
The night before
- Clothes for tomorrow laid out
- Phone charged, charger packed
- First-night box packed and in the car, not on the truck
- Medications packed exactly as the community's nurse instructed
- Printed move-day schedule for everyone
Morning
- Breakfast at home, no rush
- One family member stays with your parent the whole day
- One family member at the old home with the movers (if furniture is not already moved)
- One family member at the new apartment
- Check the house: stove off, windows closed, valuables with a family member
Arriving
- Arrive at the agreed time; check in at the front desk
- Hand over the medication and paperwork to the person the community named
- Meet the key staff: nurse or wellness director, the aide for the first shift, activities
- Walk the route from the apartment to the dining room together
In the apartment
- Bed made with your parent's own bedding
- Favorite chair and reading lamp in place
- Photos up where your parent can see them from the bed and chair
- TV, phone and call button tested
- Nightlight on the path to the bathroom
- Glasses, hearing aids and chargers on the nightstand
Before you leave
- Have a meal together in the dining room
- Agree with the staff how long to stay today
- Write the date and time of your next visit or call where your parent can see it
- Leave the family contact list with the staff
This checklist inside a plan with dates
Parent Move Plan includes this move-in day checklist and the first-week list as Google Sheet tabs and printables. They are part of a 60-day plan where every task has a date, an owner and a status.
Get your first 3 days freeThe first week
Days 1 and 2
- Short call or visit each day
- Ask the staff how nights and meals went
- Note anything missing from the apartment
Days 3 to 5
- Fix the small-fixes list
- Meet the activities director; choose two activities
- Check the medication routine with the nurse
- Bring one more familiar item if something is missing (a blanket, a clock)
Days 6 and 7
- Family check-in: how is it going, honestly?
- Agree on the visiting and calling rhythm for the month
- Ask when the first care plan meeting is
- Update the address change list: anything still open?
Normal in week one
- Tiredness and some sadness are common in the first weeks
- Your parent may ask to go home; stay calm and ask the staff how they handle it
- If you are worried about health or mood, talk to the staff and your parent's doctor
Who to ask for help. The staff are your first contact for how the days and nights are going. Take questions about health, mood, sleep or medications to the community's nurse and your parent's doctor.
Questions
What should I do on my parent's assisted living move-in day?
Keep one family member at your parent's side all day and follow a written schedule. Hand over medications and paperwork exactly as the community asked, and meet the key staff. Set up the bed, chair, lamp and photos. Share a meal in the dining room before you leave.
Should the apartment be set up before my parent arrives?
If the community allows it, yes. Many families move the furniture one or two days early so the bed is made and familiar things are in place when their parent walks in.
How long should family stay on move-in day?
There is no single rule. Ask the staff what usually works well at their community, stay through a meal, and before you leave, tell your parent exactly when you will be back or call.
Is it normal for a parent to struggle in the first week of assisted living?
Tiredness, sadness and asking to go home are common in the first weeks. Keep contact short and regular, and talk to the staff. If you are worried about health or mood, involve your parent's doctor.
Related: what to bring to assisted living and the full 60-day moving checklist.
This guide is general information for organizing a move. It is not legal, financial or medical advice.