Ernise Beckel, owner of Caring Transitions in Eden Prairie, helps older adults and families manage the challenges of downsizing and relocation. Courtesy photo
When it’s time for elderly adults to downsize or find assisted living, many families don’t know where to start. That’s where Caring Transitions can help.
“When families say, ‘I’m overwhelmed’ or ‘I don’t know where to start,’ that’s where we come in,” said Ernise Beckel, owner of the Eden Prairie-based Caring Transitions franchise, which serves communities across the southwest metro.
“Whether you are going from your home to a smaller place, relocating with your kids or moving into an assisted-living facility, we are the people who provide white glove care to help you manage this transition smoothly,” she added.
Beckel compares Caring Transitions’ services to those of a wedding planner. “We plan it all,” she said.
Caring Transitions offers a free initial consultation. “We come to your home to talk to you,” Beckel said. “We want to understand what you’re thinking. Are you moving, or staying in the home? If you’re moving, do you know where you’re going, and when? Have you already made plans, or are you just starting to think about this?”
If a potential client says he or she is ready to move, Beckel asks questions like, “Do you know what furniture or possessions you want to take with you? Have you had a chance to speak with your children about what you want them to have?”
After visiting with the client, Beckel prepares a highly detailed quote for services. “We price our quotes by the square footage of the house, and/or by density – some homes have many more things than others,” she said.
The breadth of the service is negotiable.
“We itemize every service,” she said. “Clients may decide to do some things themselves, like paper shredding, cleaning or taking hazardous materials to the city site.”
In addition to the quote for services, Beckel also provides a timeline so families can plan. “We know the science of decluttering,” she said. “It can take us days, when it might take you a year. We can have a 4,000-square-foot home cleaned out in four weeks.”
If an individual or family wants to move forward, “We start with the relocation, so we can get Mom and Dad out of the house first,” Beckel explained. “That way, they can get everything they need before we start liquidating and donating.”
She adds that Caring Transitions employees are not movers, but do have service partners whose backgrounds are checked. “We make sure your things arrive in the same condition in which you gave them to us,” she said.
Beckel will call movers to make the arrangements. She can also refer clients to assisted living and memory care facilities.
After relocation, she calls the next step of the process SOD – sorting, organizing, donations/disposal.
“We take care of what you leave behind,” she said. “We call your items ‘treasures.’ You want to give them a second life, but you don’t know how to do it.”
Caring Transitions does not do garage sales. Instead, it offers an online platform that hosts a national auction. Beckel and her staff take at least 10 photographs of each item to ensure the buyer has a true picture of what they’re getting. “We make sure everything is in good condition, or we photograph them so they can see the flaws,” she said.
All bidding starts at $1, but clients have the right to set a reserve price for higher-ticket items. After the bidding closes, winners can pay by Venmo or PayPal. Local bidders are then given a date and time to pick up their items.
“We check IDs, and personally escort them into and out of the house,” Beckel said. “This avoids the chaos of people coming into homes or crowding neighborhood streets.”
For out-of-town buyers, Caring Transitions takes care of the shipping. “We work with vendors who communicate with customers so they know when their items are packed and shipped,” she said.
After the auction, remaining items are either donated or disposed. “One of our vendors supports those with epilepsy,” she said. “Another donates furniture to a homeless shelter. We also have one that works with veterans.”
For items that cannot be donated, Caring Transitions recycles whenever possible. “We are environmentally conscious,” Beckel said.
Clients keep 65% of the proceeds from the auction. Caring Transitions receives 35%. “The proceeds from the auction often help pay for our services,” Beckel noted.
Taking care of senior citizens comes naturally to Beckel, who is a registered nurse. “I just love seniors so much,” she said. “I worked in hospitals and home care, and I’ve also worked with seniors in nursing homes. As a home-care nurse, I saw such a need for this – they live in cluttered homes, and families live far away. Spaces are often just not safe.”
“I had already worked with them as their nurse,” she added, “and I knew I could do something.”
She has two degrees: a bachelor’s degree in management and a bachelor’s degree in nursing. “Caring Transitions is a really good combination of both,” Beckel said, adding that she is also a certified relocation and transition specialist.
Beckel’s business is largely a family affair. Her mother was an initial investor and helps in all phases of the business, including packing and shipping. Her four younger sisters, Ernis, Edwina, Marnise and Annabelle Mutake, all assist. Her husband, with a degree in Roman art history, is their “art guy.”
“He’s also a potter, so he knows everything about china and collectibles,” Beckel said.
Caring Transitions is a national franchise, started in 2006 by Ray Fabik in Cincinnati, Ohio. It now has 350 locations.
Beckel’s business opened in July 2025. It serves Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Maple Point, Chaska, Delano, Excelsior, Maple Plain, Mound, St. Bonifacius, Spring Park, Victoria, and Waconia.
“This is a compassionate service,” she said. “You’re trusting experts who have taken courses and manage time.”
For more information, call 952-698-1501 or visit the Caring Transitions website.