What to Bring to Assisted Living: A Complete Packing Checklist

Quick answer: What to bring to assisted living includes about a week to 10 days of comfortable, labeled clothing, familiar bedding and a favorite chair, photos and keepsakes, toiletries, mobility aids, a current medication list, and key documents. Leave valuables, large furniture and unsafe items at home. Ask the community or board and care home what it provides before you pack.

Packing for a move to assisted living or a board and care home is different from any other move. Space is limited, comfort matters enormously, and some items are restricted for safety. Knowing what to bring to assisted living helps your parent feel at home faster and avoids returning trips for forgotten essentials. This guide offers a complete packing checklist, what to leave behind, tips for memory care, and how to label and organize everything.

What should you ask the care home before packing?

• What furniture is provided, such as a bed, dresser, nightstand or chair?
• Are bedding and towels provided?
• What are the room dimensions?
• Is there a closet, and how big is it?
• Are space heaters, extension cords, candles or small appliances allowed?
• Is laundry included, and is clothing washed together?
• Are incontinence products supplied?
• Is a TV or phone line provided?

Many board and care homes in San Diego provide furnished rooms, while assisted living in San Diego apartments are often unfurnished.

What clothing should you pack?

• Seven to 10 days of everyday outfits, easy to put on, such as elastic-waist pants and front-opening tops
• Undergarments and socks for at least a week
• Pajamas and a robe
• Nonslip shoes and slippers that fit well
• A sweater or light jacket, since indoor temperatures vary
• One or two nicer outfits for celebrations or religious services
• Seasonal items, rotated by family as weather changes

Pack fewer, practical items. Overfilled closets make it harder for caregivers and residents to find clothes.

What furniture and comfort items should you bring?

• A favorite recliner or armchair
• Familiar bedding, quilt or throw blanket
• A small dresser or nightstand, if not provided
• A lamp with an easy switch
• Framed photos and artwork
• A clock and calendar with large numbers
• A small TV or radio, and favorite music
• Plants, if allowed

Arranging the room to resemble home helps residents feel settled.

What personal care items should you pack?

• Toothbrush, toothpaste and denture supplies
• Hairbrush, comb and grooming items
• Electric razor
• Lotion, deodorant and favorite toiletries
• Glasses, hearing aids, chargers and spare batteries
• Incontinence products, if not provided

What medical items and documents should you bring?

• A current medication list, plus medications if the home has not arranged pharmacy delivery
• Mobility aids, such as a walker, cane or wheelchair
• Medical equipment, such as a CPAP machine or oxygen supplies
• Insurance cards and photo ID
• Copies of the power of attorney and advance health care directive
• POLST form, if your parent has one
• Doctor contacts and recent medical records

California care homes also require admission paperwork, such as a physician’s report and a tuberculosis test. Ask what the home needs before moving day.

What should you pack for memory care?

• Clothing that is simple and easy to put on
• Familiar items that bring comfort, such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal
• A memory box or photo album with labeled photos
• Music from your parent’s younger years
• Fewer items overall, to reduce confusion

Avoid valuables and items that could cause distress if misplaced. See memory care facilities in San Diego and Mom won’t recognize her new memory care community for adjustment tips.

What should you leave at home?

• Expensive jewelry and large amounts of cash
• Irreplaceable heirlooms
• Large furniture that blocks walkways
• Throw rugs, which are tripping hazards
• Candles, space heaters and extension cords, unless allowed
• Medications not prescribed or approved by the home
• Car keys, if your parent no longer drives

Our senior safety guide covers more home safety risks.

How should you label belongings?

• Label clothing with iron-on or stick-on name labels
• Mark glasses, hearing aids and dentures, or their cases
• Label electronics, chargers and mobility aids
• Photograph valuable items you do bring
• Keep an inventory list, and give a copy to the home

How does packing differ for board and care, assisted living and memory care?

What to bring to assisted living depends on the kind of home your parent is moving into:

• Board and care homes are small houses for about 6 residents. Bedrooms are usually furnished with a bed, dresser and nightstand, and shared rooms are common. Pack lighter: clothing, bedding, a favorite chair if there is room, photos, and personal care items. Kitchens are shared, so food and small appliances usually stay home. See our family guide to board and care homes.
• Assisted living communities usually offer unfurnished apartments. Your parent may bring a bed, sofa or loveseat, dining table, dresser, lamps and a small kitchen setup if the apartment has a kitchenette.
• Memory care rooms are often furnished or semi-furnished. Keep the room simple and familiar, with fewer items and nothing that could cause harm.

Whatever the setting, measure the room and the closet before deciding on furniture. A floor plan sketch with furniture measurements saves a lot of moving-day frustration.

A moving timeline: two weeks out to moving day

Two weeks before:

• Get the home’s packing list and room measurements.
• Choose furniture with your parent, and plan what happens to everything else.
• Order clothing labels and any new clothing that is easier to put on.
• Confirm paperwork the home needs, such as the physician’s report and TB screening.

One week before:

• Label clothing and personal items.
• Set up pharmacy transfer or delivery with the home.
• Arrange mail forwarding and update addresses with Social Security, Medicare and banks.
• Arrange phone, TV or internet service if the home does not provide it.

Moving day:

• Set up the room before your parent arrives when possible, so it already looks like home.
• Make the bed with familiar bedding and hang photos at eye level.
• Hand the medication list, legal documents and inventory list to staff.
• Stay for a meal, then keep the goodbye short and warm.

How to set up the room for safety and comfort

• Clear walking paths from bed to bathroom and door, with no cords or rugs in the way.
• Night lights along the route to the bathroom.
• A lamp and phone within reach of the bed.
• Sturdy chair with arms, so your parent can stand up safely.
• Most-used items at waist height, not on high shelves or the floor.
• A large clock and calendar visible from the bed.

What about money, phones and electronics?

• Cash: a small amount for vending machines, outings or a hairdresser. Ask whether the home holds resident funds for small purchases.
• Cards: consider a prepaid or limited debit card instead of credit cards.
• Phone: a simple phone with large buttons and preset family numbers, or a familiar cell phone, plus a long charging cable.
• Tablet: for video calls with grandchildren, set up with large icons and saved passwords.
• Hearing aid and glasses supplies: spare batteries, a charger, cleaning cloths and labeled cases.

A hypothetical example: packing for a small home

For example, imagine a family in Vista moving their mother, 89, into one of the board and care homes in Vista. Her room is furnished but small, with a shared bathroom down the hall. Her daughter brings eight days of labeled outfits, her mother’s quilt and pillows, a small recliner, a lamp, four framed family photos, her radio and her rosary.

They leave the china cabinet, jewelry box and most books with family, and set up the room the morning before move-in. When her mother arrives, her chair is by the window and her quilt is on the bed. She says the room “looks like mine.” Every family’s packing list will differ, but less, familiar and labeled is a good rule for any senior care home.

What to bring when the move happens from a hospital or rehab

Many moves happen straight from a hospital or skilled nursing facility, sometimes with only a few days’ notice. In that case, pack in two rounds:

• Round one, for move-in day: four or five days of easy clothing, nonslip shoes, glasses, hearing aids and chargers, dentures, toiletries, the discharge medication list, insurance cards, and a familiar blanket or pillow.
• Round two, within the first week or two: the favorite chair, photos, the rest of the clothing, seasonal items and decorations, once you see the room and how your parent is settling in.

Ask the hospital or rehab for the discharge summary and current medication list, and bring any equipment the therapists recommended, such as a walker or shower chair. Our guide to emergency assisted living placement in San Diego covers fast moves in more detail.

How to help your parent adjust after the first week

Knowing what to bring to assisted living is only part of the transition. In the weeks after the move:

• Swap out items that are not being used and bring things your parent asks for.
• Rotate clothing as the weather changes, and take home anything that crowds the closet.
• Add new photos and cards from family to keep the room personal.
• Check that labels are holding up after laundry.
• Ask staff whether anything in the room is causing problems, such as a chair that is hard to get out of.

Most seniors need a few weeks to a few months to feel at home. Familiar belongings, regular visits and patience help most.

Common packing mistakes

• Bringing too much. Crowded rooms cause falls and frustration. Start small and add later.
• Packing clothes that are hard to put on, like back zippers, tiny buttons or tight shoes.
• Forgetting chargers, hearing aid batteries and denture supplies.
• Not labeling everything, especially glasses, hearing aids and clothing.
• Bringing valuables that could cause conflict or distress if misplaced.
• Packing without your parent. When possible, let them choose favorite items, which helps them feel in control.

How Elder Answers helps

Elder Answers provides free senior care placement across San Diego County. Our advisors personally visit assisted living communities, memory care and board and care homes in San Diego, and can tell you what each home provides, how big the rooms are, and what families usually bring. We are paid by the care home after move-in, so our help is free for families and the rate you pay does not change. Contact Elder Answers to find the right home before you start packing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I bring to assisted living?

Clothing for about a week, familiar bedding and furniture, photos, toiletries, mobility aids, medications or a medication list, and documents. Ask the home for its own packing list, too.

What should I not bring to assisted living?

Valuables, large furniture, throw rugs, candles, space heaters and unapproved medications. Ask the home what is allowed before moving day.

Does assisted living provide furniture?

It varies. Many board and care homes provide furnished rooms; many assisted living apartments do not. Ask each senior care home for room measurements before deciding what to bring.

How much clothing should I pack?

About seven to 10 days of easy-to-wear outfits, plus seasonal items rotated by family. Bring layers, since rooms can feel warmer or cooler than home.

Should clothing be labeled in assisted living?

Yes. Labels help prevent lost items, especially with shared laundry. Iron-on or stick-on labels work well.

What should I pack for memory care?

Simple clothing, comforting familiar items, labeled photos and music, and fewer items overall. Too many belongings can feel overwhelming. Small residential senior care homes can help set up a calm, simple room.

What should I bring to a board and care home?

Less than for assisted living, since most board and care rooms are furnished. Bring labeled clothing, familiar bedding, a favorite chair if space allows, photos, personal care items, mobility aids and documents. Ask the home for room measurements and its own packing list.

Can my parent bring furniture to assisted living?

Usually yes, since most assisted living apartments are unfurnished. Measure the apartment first, keep walkways clear, and choose a sturdy chair with arms. Large pieces that crowd the room are best left with family.

Should my parent bring a cell phone to assisted living?

Yes, if they can use one. A simple phone with large buttons and saved family numbers works well, along with a long charging cable. Label the phone and charger, and ask staff to help keep it charged if needed.

Conclusion: what to bring to assisted living

Knowing what to bring to assisted living helps your parent settle in faster. Ask the home what it provides, pack practical labeled clothing, bring familiar comforts and photos, include medical items and documents, and leave valuables and hazards at home. A free senior care assessment can help you find the right home before packing begins.