Packing guide · 8 min read
Packing Heirlooms and Medical Equipment for a Senior Move
Most moving companies treat your grandmother’s china and your father’s hospital bed the same way — they wrap them in standard pads and hope. For senior moves, that’s not enough. Heirlooms have monetary AND emotional value that can’t be replaced by insurance. Medical equipment must be operational on arrival day. Here’s how we approach each category.
China, crystal, and dinnerware
Every piece gets wrapped individually in unprinted packing paper (newsprint ink rubs off). Plates are stacked vertically (not flat) in dish-pack boxes — the orientation that survives normal road vibration. Glassware goes in dish-pack inserts. Crystal stems get individual cardboard cell sleeves. Sets are kept together with notes inside the box for unpacking.
Framed photographs and original art
Each piece gets a glass-protector cardboard layer, then bubble wrap, then a custom-sized art box. Large pieces get custom crates. We photograph each piece before packing and provide that photo set to the family. We never lay glass-fronted pieces flat in a truck.
Antiques and heirloom furniture
Antique pieces get blanket-wrapped, then plastic-wrapped, then loaded onto specially-secured truck sections. We do not stack heavy items on top of antiques. For very high-value pieces (1800s sideboards, hand-carved heirlooms), we build custom crates from plywood.
Jewelry, watches, and small valuables
These should NOT be in the truck. Period. We provide a small lockable box for the senior to keep on their person. Family jewelry, important documents (deeds, passports, social security cards), prescription medications, and small heirlooms travel with the senior.
Medical equipment
Each piece needs special handling and arrival-day operational setup:
- Hospital beds — disassembled, padded, and reassembled with the senior able to sleep in it that night
- Wheelchairs and walkers — packed separately, NOT in the truck, accessible to the senior on departure day
- Lift chairs — disassembled into base and motor, separately padded
- Oxygen concentrators — packed upright, in their own padded box, with all attached tubing and accessories
- CPAP machines — packed in original cases if available, with humidifier water drained
- Stair lifts and home elevators — DO NOT MOVE. These are installed equipment
- Adjustable beds with massage features — operating manuals packed WITH the machine
- Refrigerated medication storage — coordinated separately so it stays cold throughout transit
Photo albums and family records
These often have more emotional value than anything else in the home. We pack each album in its own dedicated box (not stacked with random items), label clearly, and place in the climate-controlled section of the truck. For very old albums, we use acid-free tissue paper between pages.
Kitchen china and serving pieces
Beyond the everyday kitchen items, senior moves often include serving pieces accumulated over decades — large platters, soup tureens, holiday-only serving dishes. These get wrapped individually and packed in specialty dish boxes.
Solid wood furniture
Bedroom sets, dining tables, china hutches, and grandfather clocks get specialized handling. Tables get a furniture-grade blanket over the top and around legs, then plastic-wrapped to prevent shifting. Grandfather clocks have their pendulum and weights removed, packed separately, and reset at destination.
Important documents
Insurance policies, wills, medical records, social security cards, passports, marriage and death certificates, military discharge papers, deed paperwork — these should travel WITH the senior or family, not in the truck. We provide a fire-rated document box for the senior to use during the move.
Get a senior move with white-glove handling
Free consultation. Binding quote within 24 hours.