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• Historic Fort York David Spittal courtesy murmur.com
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Moving from one house to another is a stressful time for anyone. For many seniors, transitioning from their home to a retirement community, it can be nothing short of traumatic.

Seeing the difficulty many seniors go through at those times, local resident Marsha Silverberg-Fingold decided to do what she could to make that transition easier.

Silverberg-Fingold started up her Marsha's Helping Hands out of her previous venture staging homes for resale. Her new Forest Hill-based business helps seniors not only with the brick-and-mortars elements of moving - cleaning, finding movers, selling unneeded items to consignment stores and the like - but with the more challenging emotional side of the move.

"Most realize that this is probably their last move and that this will be their last home," she said. "It's hard to keep your spirits up when you realize that."

Another unique challenge is in helping her clients part with longtime possessions. Often, an item's sentimental value outstrips its usefulness or the practicality of moving it to a new home. Kitchen supplies are often unnecessary when moving to a retirement community, where meals are typically provided, and more limited space can mean that some mementoes would wind up in storage anyway.

"There are only so many candy dishes they need," Silverberg-Fingold said. "But when parting with personal things that they've collected over many, many years, letting go can feel like they're cutting off a piece of their past."

Of course, she appreciates that seniors have a personal attachment to many of their possessions, but that attachment is weighed in each case against the degree to which it might be missed.

"You have to pay very close attention to the sentimental value," she said. "I get to know (clients) very well, and get a good sense of what's most important to them."

Silverberg-Fingold does all the dirty work, from going through attics and cellars full of old boxes, paperwork and knick-knacks to heavy lifting, scrubbing and other grunt work. All the while, she maintains a close relationship with her clients to ensure their concerns over the upcoming move are assuaged.

"I become kind of like a cleaning lady, a friend, a confidant and an organizer all in one," she said.

Because of her personal background - she is the daughter of Holocaust survivors - Silverberg-Fingold is particularly sensitive to the needs of Jewish seniors, many of whom can be intensely protective of their privacy, their personal space and their belongings. One couple she recently helped move into a high-profile Toronto retirement community (who asked not to be identified) said her help was invaluable.

"Over 40 years (in his old home), I had accumulated a lot of things I thought I couldn't part with," said the man. "There were books, personal papers, family papers, furniture... eventually, I had to face the inevitable."

Not only did Silverberg-Fingold help the couple decide what to keep and what they could bear to part with, her job did not end there. She set up moving contracts, helped the couple with tasks such as having their phone disconnected at their old home and even arranged the furniture and artwork in their new unit.

"The moving day itself, I don't even remember," said the woman. "I just remember coming here and everything was done. (Silverberg-Fingold) set up our rooms understanding what we needed and wanted to have near us."

For Silverberg-Fingold, the most rewarding part of the business comes through the relationships she builds with her clients, many of whom still call her just to keep in touch.

"It's an honour to have them let me into their lives," she said. "To hear how happy they are, to watch them actually smile and see their stress and fears disappear, I know I've made a very special person happy."