Are there any programs that help the poor elders relocate near family members?

In that case, I would also consider moving her into a furnished apartment and selling most of her belongings. Perhaps there is a long-distance moving company that would let her piggyback with someone else's move and some of her belongings could come along that way. But who knew there was a National Association of Senior Move Managers! Wow. I had never heard of that before. Sounds like a great resource. Good luck, JennaC.

Thanks, I'll give them a try.

You can reach out to a local senior move manager to facilitate the packing, moving and settling in at her current home and her destination...the National Association of Senior Move Managers (www.nasmm.org) has a listing of professionals in every state. They may also have knowledge about local financial resources as well.

It's moving her belongings into an apartment that poses the biggest obstacle and what we need help with. She should be able to pay for getting herself down there either by plane or train. She currently has her own apartment here in Michigan and receives aid from the state in the form of a caregiver. We are pursuing a comparable care-giver program in Phoenix, which will mean she can still have her own apartment there. (We already have the application materials and don't expect to be turned down given her age and limited mobility). Otherwise, she may end up in a nursing home, but we are truly trying to avoid that since she is mentally sharp as a tack and only needs assistance with basic housekeeping in order to live on her own.

If she ends up in a nursing home, moving her belongings will be a moot point. But I would hate for this to be the only reason she ends up in one. Moving her and helping her get into the apartment in Phoenix will completely tap our family's limited resources. We're just looking to move the minimum furniture she would need to get by so I'm hoping we can find some kind of assistance program that helps out of state family members reunite. Thanks in advance for any ideas, leads or suggestions!

More details would help, JennaC. Where does your grandmother currently live? What would you envision for her in Phoenix? (Assisted living unit? Living with your mother? Indpendent apartment?) Does she have any furniture or assets that can be sold to help fund the move? Can someone drive and transport her to Phoenix? A little more explanation of the situation could help spark some ideas from the great posters here.