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Unpacking The Emotions And Logistics When Seniors Downsize Their Home

A small house in the foreground casts a shadow of a much larger house in the background, suggesting downsizing and transitioning.
Charlie AJA
/
iStock
Seniors transitioning out of the home where they've lived for years face a difficult and often emotional transition involving much more than just the logistics of moving house.

Seniors downsizing a home often face a difficult and emotional transition from a larger house — one that may have been "home" for years — to a smaller apartment or into some form of a senior community. We're talking about what such a move entails and how to plan for it. And what's involved in sorting through a lifetime of possessions and choosing what to donate, sell, recycle or keep.

Angela Smith-Dieng, acting director for the Adult Services Division at the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, talks about the programs and services for older Vermonters planning transitions and downsizing.

And Donald Rathgeb, Jr., co-founder of Second Act Transition Services, discusses his work as a senior move manager, the planning and logistics involved with moving to a new home and making choices about what to keep and what to pass down to the next generation.

Editor's note: it was suggested during the show that Goodwill was a for-profit company. They are in fact an IRS-registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Need help? Try the Area Agencies on Aging helpline: 1-800-642-5119

Broadcast live on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

One in five Vermonters is considered elderly. But what does being elderly even mean — and what do Vermonters need to know as they age? I’m looking into how aging in Vermont impacts living essentials such as jobs, health care and housing. And also how aging impacts the stuff of life: marriage, loss, dating and sex.
Matt Smith worked for Vermont Public from 2017 to 2023 as managing editor and senior producer of Vermont Edition.
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