What to Pack for Assisted Living or Board and Care: A Simple Checklist

Quick answer: Ask the home what it provides and how big the room is first. Then pack about a week to ten days of easy-on clothes, sturdy shoes, a few comfort items from home, and anything the home asks for, like medications and paperwork. Label everything. Leave jewelry, extra cash and important papers with family.

The move date is set. Now you’re standing in Mom’s bedroom, looking at forty years of things, and you have no idea where to start. What fits in one room? What will she miss? What will get lost?

Take a breath. You don’t have to move the whole house. You’re packing for a smaller, safer life with help close by. This checklist walks you through it, one bag at a time. It’s general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.

The short version

• Call the home first. Ask about room size and what’s already there.
• Pack clothes that are easy to put on and easy to wash.
• Bring medications and paperwork the way the home asks.
• A few favorite things from home help a room feel like hers.
• Leave valuables, extra cash and important papers with family.
• Put your parent’s name on everything.

What should you ask the home before you pack?

Every home is different. One call can save you a lot of packing. Ask:

• How big is the room, and is it private or shared?
• Which furniture comes with the room, like a bed, dresser or chair?
• Can we bring our own furniture, like a recliner or a small table?
• Are sheets, towels and blankets provided?
• Who does laundry, and how often?
• Are toiletries like soap and shampoo provided?
• How should we bring medications?
• What paperwork do you need from us before move-in day?
• Is there a lock for the bedside drawer, or a safe place for small valuables?
• What time works well to arrive on move-in day?

Write the answers down. Then pack to fit the room, not the house.

What clothes and shoes should you pack?

Plan for about a week to ten days of clothes. Most homes do laundry, so you don’t need a full closet.

• Easy-on clothes. Pants with elastic waists, tops that open in front, and loose sleeves are easier for your parent and for caregivers.
• Machine-washable fabrics. Delicate items can get damaged in a shared laundry. Keep the dry-clean-only clothes at home.
• Layers. A cardigan or light jacket helps when a room feels cold.
• Sleepwear and a robe. Two or three sets is usually enough.
• Shoes and slippers. Pack comfortable shoes your parent already wears and slippers with a back. Ask your parent’s doctor or the home what footwear is safest for them.
• Something nice. One outfit for holidays, visits or church.

How do medications and paperwork work?

This part depends on the home, so let the home lead.

Medications. Ask the home how it wants medications delivered. Some want them in the pharmacy bottles. Some work with a pharmacy that packs them a certain way. Bring the full list of what your parent takes, and ask your parent’s doctor any questions about the medicines themselves.

Paperwork. The home will tell you what it needs. Most homes ask for some forms before move-in day, including a report from your parent’s doctor. Bring copies of insurance cards and a list of family contacts. We can help you gather the move-in paperwork the home needs.

Mail and benefits. Update your parent’s mailing address with the places that send important mail. If your parent already gets Social Security, you can update the address in their online account or by calling 1-800-772-1213, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in most time zones (SSA).

Which comfort items from home help most?

A new room feels less strange when it looks and smells a little like home. Pick a few things, not everything.

• Her own pillow and a favorite blanket or quilt
• A few framed photos, or a small photo album
• A clock and calendar with big numbers
• A favorite chair, if the home says there’s room
• A radio or a simple music player with her favorite songs
• Books, puzzles, cards or a hobby she still enjoys
• Reading glasses, hearing aids, chargers and spare batteries
• A small plant or a familiar piece of art for the wall

California law says residents of licensed homes for seniors have the right to keep and use their own personal things, including toiletries, and to keep their own money (Title 22, section 87468.2). Room size is still the real limit, so ask the home before you bring furniture.

The surprise: Less really is more. A room packed full can feel cramped and can be a fall risk. A few well-chosen things from home usually help more than a whole room of furniture.

What should you leave at home?

• Fine jewelry and heirlooms. Bring it?: Leave with family. Why: Small items are easy to lose in any move.
• Extra cash and checkbooks. Bring it?: Leave with family. Why: Keep only a little spending money, if the home allows it.
• Important papers (wills, deeds, passports). Bring it?: Leave with family. Why: Bring copies only if the home asks.
• Lots of furniture. Bring it?: Ask first. Why: Rooms are smaller than most families expect.
• Rugs and extension cords. Bring it?: Ask first. Why: They can be tripping hazards, and homes may have rules.
• Space heaters and candles. Bring it?: Ask first. Why: Some homes don't allow them.
• Everyday clothes, shoes, glasses, hearing aids. Bring it?: Bring. Why: Label each one.

If your parent wants to keep a ring or a watch, ask the home about a lock for the bedside drawer. Under California law, homes must provide one if you ask, though your family may have to pay for it. Homes also keep a secure place for valuables if you ask (HSC 1569.153).

How do you label everything?

Things get mixed up in shared laundry and shared spaces. Labels help them come back.

• Clothes: Use iron-on or stick-on clothing labels, or a laundry marker, with your parent’s full name.
• Glasses, hearing aids and dentures: Ask the home how it marks these. California homes must have a way to mark belongings, including dentures. These items are small, costly and easy to misplace.
• Electronics and chargers: A label or a strip of tape with a name works.
• Furniture and boxes: Put a name on each piece.

At move-in, licensed homes for seniors in California make a written list of your parent’s belongings. It’s written in ink, dated and witnessed by the home and your parent or you, and a copy goes to your parent or you (HSC 1569.153). Keep your copy. When you bring something new later, ask the home in writing to add it to the list.

What happens on move-in day?

Move-in day often goes better when it’s calm and simple.

• Set up the room first, if you can. Some families drop off boxes the day before, so the room is ready when Mom arrives.
• Arrive at the time the home suggests. Late morning or around lunch often works, because there’s activity and a meal to share.
• Make the bed with her own bedding. It’s one of the first things she’ll notice.
• Keep the goodbye short and warm. Long goodbyes can make it harder for both of you.
• Ask how to reach staff. Get the right number and good times to call.

The first couple of weeks are often the hardest. Calls asking to come home are common. For many people, things start to feel more normal after a few weeks. If you’re worried about how your parent is settling in, talk with the staff, and call or text us.

What should you do next?

• If you don’t know the room size yet, then call the home before you buy or move anything.
• If your parent is coming straight from the hospital, then pack a small bag first and bring the rest later.
• If you live far away, then ask a local family member or friend to help with move-in day, and plan a video call that evening.
• If you’re still choosing a home, then read Board and Care or Assisted Living: Which Fits Your Parent?

Local help in Sacramento and Placer counties

A few local facts help families plan:

• Cost: Most licensed care homes in our area cost $4,000 to $15,000 a month, depending on the home and the care. A few homes charge less, but a price under $4,000 a month is rare. See our assisted living cost guide.
• Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care in assisted living or board and care homes (Medicare.gov).
• Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver can help pay for care services in some homes. It’s offered in Sacramento County but not Placer County, and there’s a waitlist. The person still pays the home for room and board (DHCS).
• Agency on Aging Area 4 gives free information to seniors and families in Sacramento and Placer counties: (916) 486-1876 or (800) 211-4545 (Agency on Aging Area 4).

How Nonna Placements works: Nonna Placements is free to families. Licensed homes pay us a placement fee when someone moves in. You can choose any home. If the first home doesn’t work out, we find another one for free. This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.

Need help with the move?

Moving a parent is a lot, even when you’ve found the right home. We can help with the parts that feel heaviest, from finding a home that fits to gathering the paperwork the home needs.

Nonna Placements helps families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. We only suggest homes we’ve seen ourselves, and we can come on tours with you. It’s free to your family, and we reply within 1 hour, 24/7.

Call or text (916) 261-2644 or email roberto@nonnaplacements.com.

Related reading: Board and Care or Assisted Living: Which Fits Your Parent? · How to Talk to Your Parent About Moving · Hospital Discharge to a Care Home in Sacramento · Senior living in Roseville

Sources

• California Health and Safety Code section 1569.153, personal property inventory and theft and loss program (checked October 27, 2026): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
• California Code of Regulations, Title 22, section 87468.2, personal rights of residents (checked October 27, 2026): law.cornell.edu
• Social Security Administration, Update contact information (checked October 27, 2026): ssa.gov
• Medicare.gov, Long-term care (checked October 27, 2026): medicare.gov
• California Department of Health Care Services, Assisted Living Waiver (checked October 27, 2026): dhcs.ca.gov
• Agency on Aging Area 4 (checked October 27, 2026): agencyonaging4.org

About the author

Roberto Hategan is the CEO & Founder of Nonna Placements, a senior placement service in Granite Bay serving families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. We only suggest homes we’ve seen ourselves. Contact: roberto@nonnaplacements.com

Photo credits: Ron Lach, fish socks and Ketut Subiyanto, via Pexels, Pexels License.