Veteran opens Caring Transitions to ease seniors’ relocations

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Kevin Rarick’s decision to open a Caring Transitions franchise in Berks County was as personal as it was professional. 

Rarick has built an impressive resume upon high-level studies into what makes people more – or less – healthy. He earned his bachelor’s in kinesiology from Penn State, where he remained for a master’s in cardiac rehabilitation and exercise science. Then it was five years of active duty in the Army, where he served at a research institute in Massachusetts. He topped it off with a Ph.D. in integrative physiology from the University of Iowa, then went on to a career in – no surprise here – academic research. 

“In the military, I was working on research to improve Soldier Readiness related to physical performance and nutrition,” said Rarick, 47, a Luzerne County native now residing in Berks’ Muhlenberg Township. “More recently, I was studying the effects of injury and chronic disease on brain health and how it might be accelerating the aging process.” 

Heady stuff. Yet for all those wonkish credentials, Rarick was unfulfilled. 

“I was frustrated with many aspects of (academic research),” he said. “One of the most frustrating parts is just how slow the process is before you can make a meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives.” 

So Rarick packed up his research career and his bags and moved from Wisconsin back home to Pennsylvania. He wanted to spend more time with his aging parents – and to start making a bigger and more immediate difference for them and other older Berks Countians and their loved ones. 

All of which led to his opening of Caring Transitions of Reading, a local iteration of the national brand that includes 400-plus locations nationwide. The franchise assists seniors and their families with relocation, downsizing, estate sales, and other transitional support. Rarick hopes it can ease emotional and logistical strain by helping seniors and their families navigate such often-cumbersome tasks during life’s most terribly fragile time. 

The Numbers Show the Need 

The demand for services like Caring Transitions is accelerating in Berks and beyond. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. By 2029, all baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — will be 65 or older. 

And after a historic drop during the pandemic, U.S. life expectancy has begun to rebound – back to its current average of 78.4 years, with women living roughly five years longer than men. 

But longevity doesn’t always mean independence. A recent AARP survey found that 44% of adults over 50 expect to eventually have to move due to cost, health, or accessibility concerns. Berks is no exception; seniors account for around 20% of the county’s population – and about 30% of those 65 and older, including about half the women 75 and older, live alone. 

Trouble is, their adult children – often their caregivers – are aging too, many while still raising their own kids or managing their own health issues. 

A Holistic Approach 

Caring Transitions of Reading offers a suite of services tailored to these older Berks Countians and their so-called “Sandwich Generation” children: 

• Senior relocation and downsizing
  • Estate sale coordination and online auctions
  • Decluttering and organizing
  • Support for grieving families managing a loved one’s belongings 

Each client is paired with a relocation specialist who is bonded, insured, and trained to manage sensitive situations with discretion. 

“The process of packing and moving can be stressful and overwhelming for anyone,” Rarick said. “It takes a lot of time and can be physically demanding, and most of us have a lot of items that we no longer need but don’t know the best way to get rid of them. But it goes beyond just all the time and work involved to move. It can also take a psychological toll because you are leaving a place of comfort and may have to give up favorite possessions … It can impact people the same as having to deal with loss.” 

That emotional toll is especially acute for seniors, who often face these transitions alone. 

“If we can reduce these struggles,” he said, “then hopefully the transition is smoother, and people acclimate faster to their new home.” 

Rarick says Caring Transitions is happy to work with any age group, but focuses on seniors “because they have the greatest need and often live alone.” 

“We also work with families when their parent has recently passed,” he said. “Often these family members don’t live in Berks County anymore, so we fill that need by being the local boots on the ground to help clear out and prepare the home to be sold.” 

Local Solution to National Challenge 

Caring Transitions partners with local real estate agents, care facilities, and legal professionals to offer seamless support, free consultations, and customized services. 

For Rarick, it’s about solving problems and making a difference back here at home. 

“My background in the military and in healthcare research has shaped me into being a problem solver,” he said. “Both of those experiences have taught me to assess a situation and come up with solutions.”
Whether it’s helping a senior settle into a new apartment or guiding adult children through an estate cleanout, Rarick wants Caring Transitions to be a steady hand through an unsteady time. 

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