Who should I call first when an aging parent in Colorado Springs needs to move: a real estate agent, a senior move manager, or a senior living advisor?

It depends on what's driving the move. If your parent's health or care needs are changing, start with their doctor's view of the care they need, then a senior living advisor or the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. If the house has simply become too much, start with someone who can weigh staying, modifying, or selling. A senior move manager usually comes in once the decision is made. Whoever you call first, I recommend someone who sees the whole picture and is open about how they're paid.

Start with what's driving the move

Each of these professionals answers a different question. The best first call is the one that matches the question your family is facing right now.

You don't have to get the order exactly right. A good professional at any of these points will tell you when your question belongs with someone else.

What each professional does, and what they don't

Senior living advisor

A senior living advisor, sometimes called a placement or referral agent, helps a family find a community that provides the right level of care, such as independent living, assisted living, or memory care. They can save a lot of time when care needs are the main reason for the move.

Many advisors don't charge families. They're paid by the community where your parent moves in. That doesn't make their advice bad, but it means the list of communities they show you may be limited to the ones they work with. In Colorado, an advisor who is paid for referring someone to an assisted living residence has to disclose that the residence pays the fee, along with any business relationship they have with it. The agreement with a prospective resident has to be in writing, and you can end it at any time. It's worth asking any advisor which communities they work with and how they're paid. For how the different types of senior living compare, see the difference between 55+ communities, independent living, assisted living, and memory care.

Senior move manager

A senior move manager plans and carries out the physical move: sorting belongings, deciding what fits in the new space, packing, moving, and setting up the new home. Their role is specific and valuable, and it usually starts once your parent knows where they're going. See what a senior move manager does and whether you need one.

Real estate professional

A real estate professional who works with older homeowners handles the house side: what the home is worth, whether staying with some changes could work, how to prepare the home, and how to time a sale around a move-in date. They don't decide on care, give legal or tax advice, or run the move itself. If staying is on the table, see what home modifications make aging in place realistic.

Elder law or estate planning attorney

If your parent can no longer make decisions, or nobody is sure who has authority to act, an attorney is the right early call. See selling a parent's house with a power of attorney, what happens if there's no power of attorney, and how to choose an elder law attorney.

Free, local places to start in Colorado Springs

• Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. Part of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, it serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers in El Paso, Park, and Teller counties. Its information and assistance line and Family Caregiver Support Center can help you sort out options before you hire anyone. Call 719-471-2096.
• Eldercare Locator. If you live in another state, this federal service can connect you with the aging agency where you live as well as here. Call 800-677-1116.

For more public and nonprofit help, see what help is available for seniors who are moving or downsizing.

How I approach it

As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, I build relationships with these professionals on purpose, because selling the home isn't always the right answer. Sometimes the better answer is aging in place. My goal is to find honest answers for the family, and I don't receive referral fees from the people I recommend.

Everyone in these situations is dealing with several things at once, so the goal is the best solution for the person, not for any one professional. You can come into this network from any direction. When care needs are driving the move, it becomes a coordinated effort. I act as a central point of contact, connecting you with the specialists you need so you can make a fully informed decision. For example, I connected one couple with a senior living advisor, who helped them find a life plan community with several levels of care.

I also know where my expertise lies: the house, options for aging in place, and connecting families with the right advisors, including senior living advisors. A senior move manager has a very specific role, and the same is true of a real estate professional. That's why I start with safety and with understanding who the decision-makers are before anything else. For who else is usually involved, see who should be on your downsizing team.

If you're the adult child making the call

Your parent is still the decision-maker unless someone has legal authority to act for them. The most helpful first step is usually to ask your parent's permission to talk with the professionals involved, so you can stay informed and help keep things on track. For how to start that conversation, see how to help aging parents decide whether to stay or move. If you're helping from another state, see how to sell a parent's home when you live out of state.

A simple way to decide

• If your parent's safety or health is the concern, start with their doctor or the hospital's discharge planner, then a senior living advisor.
• If you're not sure whether your parent should move at all, start with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging or a real estate professional who can lay out staying and selling side by side.
• If nobody is sure who can sign, call an elder law attorney before listing anything.
• If the decision is made, bring in a senior move manager for the move and a real estate professional for the sale.
• If you're overwhelmed, call any one of them and ask who else should be involved. A good professional will point you onward.

What could change the answer

• A hospital discharge. When a parent is leaving the hospital or rehab, the discharge planner or social worker is usually the first person to talk with.
• Who has legal authority. If your parent can't make decisions and there's no power of attorney, the legal question comes before anything else.
• How care will be paid for. Medicaid, long-term care insurance, or a veterans benefit can narrow which communities are an option, so ask early.
• Your parent's own wishes. If your parent wants to stay, the first call may be about making the home safer, not about moving.
• Distance. If you live out of state, you may need someone local who can be your eyes and ears.

When to talk with a professional

Talk with your parent's doctor about the level of care needed. A senior living advisor can help compare communities, and a senior move manager can handle the move itself. An elder law or estate planning attorney can answer questions about powers of attorney, Medicaid, and who can sign. A real estate professional can help you weigh staying against selling and time a sale around a move-in date.

Sources

• Colorado General Assembly, HB19-1268, Assisted Living Residence Referral Disclosures (C.R.S. 6-1-729): https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1268
• Colorado General Assembly, HB20-1101, Assisted Living Residence Referrals: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB20-1101
• Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Area Agency on Aging: https://www.ppacg.org/
• U.S. Administration for Community Living, Eldercare Locator: https://eldercare.acl.gov/