Can a Granny Pod help with Elder Care and Assisted Living
Family Living Options for Elderly Family Members
What is a Granny Pod? In the simplest terms, it is a self-contained building that can be installed in the average back yard, which functions as an advanced elder care facility. A typical price for a unit may be $80,000 which sounds expensive until you consider that nursing home care for 2 years would exceed that amount. These unite have features like vital sign monitoring, built-in technology, and living spaces designed for use by people who may be in wheelchairs. Furthermore, support for oxygen lines and medical devices is already part of the unit. Granny Pods may sound like a perjorative term, but in actuality they offer a lot more freedom for the elderly than nursing homes and elder care facilities.
As self-contained homes, they may have air conditioning and heating, kitchens, and many of the comforts that one would find at home. By allowing people to live among their relatives, there is also less pressure to do expensive remodeling or try to retrofit a home with stair lifts which may be impractical in older construction. (This is naturally on top of all the permits and remediation that could be necessary when making changes to a family home.) Better yet, these self-contained senior living homes give a degree of independence to the occupants who may feel like intruders in the homes of their children. Small prefabricated homes such as the "granny pod" and other small houses also can be re-sold in the event of death or a change of residence, so the initial price of the house can be partially recouped at a later date.
As the Baby Boomer population ages, solutions in home care for the elderly and assisted living services are expected to make Granny Pods an ideal way to keep relatives out of more expensive facilities. Backyard cottages and residential care services may also be partially covered by insurance and health care policies, and if enough units are built the cost to make these miniature senior care homes would be expected to decrease as well.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: When purchasing a granny pod, or auxiliary dwelling unit, consider the needs of your parent so you don't overpay. It may also be possible to lease the unit instead of buying it outright, or and there could be other needs that must be considered so your loved one is well taken care of and not isolated in the event of a storm.