New Trend in Care for Elderly: 'Granny Pods'

It's like a mini mobile home for the back yard
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 21, 2010 5:25 PM CDT
New Trend in Care for Elderly: 'Granny Pods'
It's like a mini mobile home, designed for the elderly.   (http://www.medcottage.com/)

Granny Pods? Yes, Granny Pods. As NPR and the Roanoke Times explain, these are essentially miniature mobile homes custom-designed for the elderly and small enough to fit in a caregiver's yard. The idea is that aging relatives could live inside, close to the family, instead of going to a nursing home. Officials in Virginia have taken the idea seriously enough to tweak zoning rules to accommodate the pods (formal name MEDCottage), which should be on the market next year. (Figure about $70,000 or a $2,000-per-month rental.)

"Really—this is one of those studies that we really can never publicly say—but we don't want them in our house," the company founder says of aging parents. "Nor do they want to be in our house." (More Granny Pod stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X