Four to six weeks out
- Get the floor plan with measurements. Pick the furniture that fits and that Mom loves.
- Ask the community for its move-in paperwork list: often a health assessment, medication list, and contract.
- Decide what happens to everything else: family, sale, donation.
- Book movers who have done senior moves, if you can.
The week before
- Label clothes. Pack a first-night bag: medications, toiletries, pajamas, chargers, a familiar blanket.
- Update her address with Social Security, banks, pharmacies, and the post office.
- Hang pictures and set up the room before she arrives, if the community allows it.
Move day
- Keep it calm and short. Some families have one person take Mom to lunch while others set up.
- Meet the staff who'll care for her, and give them a one-page "about Mom" sheet: her routines, likes, and what calms her.
The first 30 days
Adjustment takes time; many families see the first weeks as the hardest. Visit, but let her build new routines. Ask staff how she's eating, sleeping, and joining in. Your advisor checks in too. If something's wrong, raise it early. Mom has rights under Florida law; here's a summary.