Surely one of the biggest issues of our time is that of elder care. How do we make the last chapters in our lives meaningful, purposeful, and enriched? Many families would like to keep Mom and Pop nearby, but maybe with growing children of your own, it’s not a practical reality.
Enter MEDCottage, aka “Granny Pods.”
If the funny name makes you think of a lunar capsule outfitted with wheelchairs and call buttons, you’d be only half right. Because this timely invention is far more sophisticated-looking than its quaint nickname would suggest.
Think “tiny homes meets the Property Brothers,” and you’re on the right track. Because the MEDCottage options, while on the smaller side, have some pretty swank interiors. Designed to fit in a large backyard space, so that Grandma or Grandpa will be close – but not too close – these senior housing creations are stirring some controversy to go with the problem-solving.
How so? For starters, at $85,000 to $125,000, these granny pods are not for a family that’s struggling financially. Chances are, if you have the land and the cash for a MEDCottage, you may well also have the dough to bring in care workers to tend to your parents on a daily basis.
And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, it could lead to less, rather than more, interaction, compared to, say, a nursing home or assisted living option. In the latter, your parents will have planned social activities, friends of their own generation, and a bevy of oversight from caretakers.
On the other hand, in a MEDCottage, it will be much more up to you to keep your seniors actively involved in life: you may need to chauffeur them to hair and doctor appointments, purchase their groceries and medicines, and make sure they’re included in family dinners and gatherings.
And now, for the stats. These senior tiny homes range from a truly tiny 12 x 24 feet (they are meant to approximate the average master bedroom in size), all the way up to 605 feet for the grandest “Grand” option.
A co-creation of designers at Virginia Tech and a private company in the same state, you’ll need to make sure your yard is actually zoned to allow a structure like a MEDCottage to be parked on it. If you can pass that hurdle, there are all kinds of medical and psychological bells and whistles that can be installed as options, ranging from soft floors to cushion falls, hand railings, surveillance systems, and enough room to accommodate wheelchairs, if needed.
With all this technical wonderment, it might be a little too easy to tell yourself that Mom or Dad is just fine, and go off to that party, leaving them home alone. On the other hand, they maintain some independence too, so it’s definitely a trade-off.
Take a look at some of these lovely MEDCottages, and decide if this is an option that might work for you and your aging parents.
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