Don't want Grandma in the house? Stick her in the backyard. That's the business model a Virginia company called N2Care is using to sell its innovative new pre-fabricated nursing home alternative residences, or so-called "granny pods."
N2Care has been working on the project for nearly two years, and placed the first of its granny pods in the backyard of a Virginia couple's home in Fairfax County, in April, The Washington Post reported. Viola Baez moved warily into a "MedCottage" located behind her daughter's home.
"In the beginning, she was reluctant, because she didn't know what it would look like," the Rev. Kenneth J. Dupin, founder and CEO of N2Care, told the Daily News.
"Once she got into it, she adjusted very well. It's a great model that allows (her family) to participate in her life and her to keep her privacy."
The name "MedCottage" doesn't exactly conjure a homey experience, but the company attests, "MEDCottage residents will tell you that their new home is all about comfort. On the outside, you see a charming, modular home that can easily be placed on a homeowner's property. The inside maintains a comfortable home, using the space efficiently to create sleeping, living and bathing areas. Equipped with the latest technical advances in the industry, MEDCottage was made to assist with many care-giving duties."
The company continues: "Using smart robotic features, it can monitor vital signs, filter the air for contaminants, and communicate with the outside world very easily. Sensors alert caregivers to problems, and medication reminders are provided via computers. Technology also provides entertainment options including music, literature and movies."
The "MedCottage" comes in three different mobels, varying in size from Baez's entry-level 288 square foot home, to mid-level at 299, and the largest at 605 square feet.
"The 288-square-foot MedCottage features technology found in most modern hospital rooms, including safety rails, lighted flooring, built-in cameras and a defibrillator machine," said the Daily News.
"Our company is all about family-managed care, giving people the chance to take care of their aging family members," Dupin explained to the Daily News.
The idea came to Dupin as he was thinking about alternative senor care while traveling abroad around six years ago supervising aid missions to Latin America. Dupin says he saw a dire need for temporary, and modular hospital rooms while on the road, which inspired much of the "MedCottage" idea.
"One of the greatest fears we have when we age is being isolated from our families," he explained. "But I didn't see that abroad. In fact, I saw people almost celebrating age."
The idea of granny pods is catching on fast. Dupin says he's been besieged by a flood of orders from interested parties, receiving almost 1,000 calls within the first 90 days of the houses being available for sale.
"The issue is not demand, it's placement," he explained. The creator added that zoning laws interfere in many states with where the company is allowed to install the homes, which can cost up to $125,000.
