Elder Care | Mother In Law Suites » Mother In-Law Suite Design

Basement Remodeling Ideas

Tom — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:46:01 +0000

Your basement is a part of the house you have neglected for too long. It does not need to be a dark, uninviting room useful only for laundry and storing boxes of things you haven’t looked at in decades. Your basement can become a perfectly good, useful part of the house – even a place for someone else to live comfortably. In this article, we’ll mention some basement remodeling ideas to get you started. Once you start with ideas for remodeling your basement, you will find that it’s almost like you’ve added a new floor to your house!

Here’s a scenario that many of us may face: what if you have a relative, like a mother-in-law or a child, come back to live with you for a time? The basement can be an excellent place to remodel for this purpose, giving your relative space they can feel at home in. The basement naturally feels a little different from the rest of the building – you can use this to your advantage. That “different feeling” will make your guest feel more comfortable with calling a certain portion of the house their own.

You can seize on that “different feeling” for other purposes, too. Once you’ve renovated the basement, you will find that the space’s unique qualities make it very suitable for rooms in the home that aren’t meant to feel quite like the rest of the house. The basement can make an excellent playroom for children, or a good home office space. Since you want to be able to focus on work rather than the demands of home, having this different space can be a real asset. A game room or a den with a bar might also be good options. Since most basements are huge, open spaces in comparison to other rooms, you may even be able to utilize more than one of these concepts without even needing to build new walls.

Basement Remodeling Considerations

There are some things you will need to take into account as you remodel your basement, though – the basement just isn’t like the other rooms in your house. The biggest difference is lighting. Pretty much every room in the upper floors of your home has windows to let in some ambient light, but because the basement is below the grade of your property, it lacks this property. Don’t respond to this just by flooding the place with bright lighting and whitewashing your walls – while that will make things very bright, it will also make it garish and uncomfortable. Instead, consider using warm, bright colors, and using things like can lighting and sconces. The dark quality of the basement can be an advantage in some settings, like a game room or a den.

Other things to consider are elements like pipework or ventilation ducts. Try and keep these along the walls of the basement, so that they don’t crowd the space in the center of the room. You can also cover them up with paneling so that they don’t stand out, or paint them a darker color for a more moody effect. There are plenty of ways to make these pieces work for your renovation.

The main thing to remember is to not be daunted by the task at hand. Your basement has the potential to be as inviting and useful a part of the home as any other room, and has other advantages besides – that “different feel” we mentioned, which makes the basement a perfect place for a mother in-law suite, a playroom, an office, or dozens of other uses. Instead of just a place to store your high school memorabilia, why not give the place a remodel and see what a difference adding a floor to your house makes?

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Professional Advice for Elderly Home Care Remodeling & New Construction

Tom — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:06:36 +0000

Project Type

If you are planning to build an addition, you may want to consider finishing out your existing garage and building a new garage. The cost of building a new garage is far less (in some cases 1/2 as much) than adding additional new living space. For a basement in-law suite you will need a walk out basement and a window that meets your local codes. Concrete foundation walls can be cut to exact opening sizes allowing you to add a door or window if your natural grade permits.

Garage in-law suites will require windows in the bedroom in accordance with your local building codes.

When remodeling a basement, installing a sub floor system such as DRIcore helps to keep the flooring warm and dry as well as adding a healthier living environment for you loved one.

Safety Monitoring

Even when your not in the room with your loved one, you can still check in to make sure their OK and that their receiving proper treatment from others such as healthcare providers.

When planning a construction project don’t forget to consider any other wiring needs you might have in the future, such as Cable TV, Internet connection, etc… The cost of wiring is far less during construction as compared to post construction.

Wheelchair Accessibility

In addition to adding more space and freedom of movement to your in-law suite this option also enables you to have piece of mind, knowing that in the event of injury or other medical complications your loved one will be able to navigate independently or with assistance through his/her living space even in a wheelchair.

In Home Care

Having a lockable passage to your home requires a exterior entrance to the in-law suite and gives you the option of securing your living space when your not present. This gives you piece of mind, knowing that home health care providers have access to your home only at your discretion.

Having a Rehab/Exercise room can save you time and money. Your loved one can be rehabilitated in the comfort of their own living quarters which can save you time that would be spend driving to and from expensive rehab facilities as well as keep your loved one under your watchful care.

Special Health Needs

An In-Law Suite can even be built with hospital like equipment and treatment capabilities, but without the cold and sometimes dangerous environment. This way your loved one can spend their time around friends and family in a comfortable, safe place, and still get the treatment they need from in home care providers.(Of coarse its always recommended to follow the advise of your physician)

If lack of mobility is a main issue your loved one is facing, a lift can be built into the structure of the building and could facilitate helping your loved one out of bed for bathing, changing, etc…

Chairlifts and many other helpful devices can be installed and designed into the project to make your in-law suite conform to your loved ones needs, and provide them with the best possible living space physically and emotionally.

For basement suites or other special situations an elevator is a great option. Over the recent years the cost has come down on in home models and can be more affordable than you might think.

Safety Accessories

Adding something as simple as a handrail or grab bar can literally be a life saver. Placing Ramps and Grab bars in important locations can help your loved one stay independent for as long as possible.

These simple fixtures can help to minimize falls and other accidents before they happen, its true what they say, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

Floor Plan

Below is a link to a few samples of in-law suite floor plans in each of the basic design models. Remember everyone has a unique situation and needs, so these are just to help you get some ideas. FLOOR PLANS

Bedroom

When thinking of remodeling, make sure that a window can be placed in the bedroom. Having this in mind first can be a guideline and starting point for the floor plan layout of your project.

Dimmer switches are an easy way to help the room to feel warm and comfortable. In addition they also extend the life of incandescent bulbs.

Structural backing for wall mounted TVs or other items should be considered for installation during initial construction and can sometimes help to make the most of your family member’s living space.

Bathroom

When designing your in-law suite consider using a Jack and Jill bathroom configuration. This gives any guests your loved on might entertain access to the restroom without going through the bedroom.

Kitchen

Collapsible sink bases are made at the right height for wheelchair accessibility but still have an under-cabinet that can be removed or left in place. - Thinking of things like this in the design phase can help you be better prepared from the future and may even save you money and time in the long run.

If your loved one is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s it is recommended to evaluate their abilities and determine if they will be able to use a kitchen. Doing this now can help you spend your project budget in the best way possible for your loved one’s needs.

When laying out the kitchen, its a good idea to design it around making all the essential appliances and items within reach from one area if possible. This way your loved one won’t have to walk back and forth many times to get from one often used area to another. When grouped together, your loved one can easily get something from the refrigerator, prepare, and cook it with as little walking as possible.

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Mother In Law Suite Garage Conversion: First Steps

Mother In Law Suite Garage Conversion: First Steps

Tom — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:30:52 +0000

Are you considering converting your garage into a convenient elder care floor plan?
You can use this simple formula to see if the square footage of your garage is large enough for a mother in-law suite. To find the square footage of your garage space you must measure the inside width and depth of the garage. You can calculate the width of the garage by measuring from side wall to side wall. For the depth measure from the parting wall between the garage and the living area to the garage overhead door. For convenience you can round off your measurements to the nearest foot. Next take the width and multiply it times the depth. The product will be the square footage of usable space. Example 20 feet wide x 23 feet deep equals 460 square feet. (20’x 23’= 460sqft)

Garage In-Law Suite Minimum Dimensions

You should be in a range of 350 to 900 square feet to create a comfortable in-law suite floor plan. The low end of the range would be adequate for a bedroom, bathroom and small limited kitchen/eating area. On the high end of the range it could be adequate for a large bedroom, handicap bathroom, living room, full service kitchen, comfortable eating area, separate entrance, utility room, etc. The more spacious and/or more rooms required naturally the more square footage you will need.

Garage In-Law Suite Considerations

If the entry from the garage to your home includes steps it will be nesessary to raise the garage floor (or in law suite floor) level to meet the house floor level. Believe it or not this is a good thing. When you raise the in-law suite floor level you can use the resulting crawl space for plumbing such as drain pipes from the toilet, shower, sinks, etc. You can insulate the perimeter walls of the garage crawl space to create warm floors for your mother in-law suite.

If your access to the house is on the same level as the garage floor, you might have to break the garage concrete floor to install the plumbing for the mother in-law suite. The good thing about this is that you probably won’t have to use a ramp to access the new space from the exterior.

Cost Effective Home Improvement

The garage conversion to an in-law suite is one of the most economical types of home improvement in a cost per square foot basis. It creates a living space that keeps your loved one close to you, while creating two separate living spaces for privacy and the highest level of independence possible. In addition to the cost effective and convenient attributes of building an in law suite in the garage, it can add to the value of your home and does not change the look of your home from the exterior.

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In Law Suites: Advantages Over Nursing Home Care

Guest — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:30:57 +0000

If you are considering nursing home care for an aging parent or other family member, you may want to look at an alternative that is as close as your own home. Building a specially designed in-law suite in your home can be a great alternative to costly and impersonal nursing home care, and it pays to seriously consider this option before looking for a nursing home.

An in-law suite can be specially laid out to provide all the comforts of home while also providing the safety equipment that is so important for many elderly adults. From specially designed shower and tub enclosures to stair lifts and power chairs, the in-law suite you design can be built with your loved one’s comfort in mind. And the good news is that the entire cost of the renovation may be less than a single year of nursing home care. Just consider some of the compelling benefits of choosing an in-law suite over nursing home care.

In Law Suites Cost Less Than Nursing Care

Much lower costs – as mentioned above, the entire cost of building an in-law suite or remodeling an existing space in the home can be less than the cost of a single year in a nursing home.

Comfort For Your Loved One

Greater comfort for your loved ones – nursing homes are many things, but comfortable is generally not one of them. With an in-law suite in place your loved ones can live in comfort and dignity without sacrificing their personal safety and security.

Family Togetherness

Family togetherness – with so many families forced apart by circumstances it has never been more important for families to stay together as long as they can. Building an in-law suite in your home is a great way to keep all the generations of your family together under one roof.

Enrich Your Children’s Lives

A great learning opportunity for the kids – there are many advantages to keeping the family together as a single cohesive unit, not the least of which is the tremendous learning opportunity this kind of living arrangement can provide. Chances are grandma and grandpa have lots of great stories to tell, and having that living history close by can be extremely valuable to the next generation. Your kids will learn all kinds of new things – including the startling fact that people were once forced to live without cell phones and iPods.

Peace Of Mind For You

Peace of mind – when your aging relatives are under the same roof you can enjoy tremendous peace of mind. Just knowing that you will be there should something go wrong can reduce your stress level enormously and help you relax and enjoy your family life. And since the in-law suite can be designed with the latest safety equipment already in place you will not have to worry as much about an aging loved one falling or being injured.

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Universal Home Design For Mother In-Law Suites

Tom — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:24:52 +0000

If you are remodeling space for in-law suite or building a new home with the goal of aging in place there is one phrase that can make the difference of a successful project or poor result.

The phrase is “Universal Design”.

Universal Design: What is it and why is it important?

The definition of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making more housing usable for a maximum amount of people. Simply put, it is accessible design for the present and future needs of anyone who occupies a habitable space.

You could be remodeling for aging parents or adding a full mother in-law suite for your loved one to age in place, there is a criterion that must be met. This criterion is found in Universal Design. Universal Design will give the layout of every type of room to create a barrier free home, with accessible wheelchair ramps, elevators, the height to the bottom of the wall hung kitchen cabinets above the floor level, handrail height, the turning radius for handicap bathrooms and everything else needed to build a totally accessible design home.

Accessible Design Resources

Where in the world would one find the wealth of knowledge for accessible design? North Carolina State University has a Center for Universal Design in Housing. They have a complete guideline for any question about accessible design. It is a bit over whelming but it is all there, anything and everything to due with accessible design.

You can download the entire document here; Universal Design in Housing PDF

Universal Design for a Garage In-Law Suite

Let’s say you are designing a remodel for a mother in-law suite in your existing two car garage. You will need to raise the finished floor of the existing garage to meet the existing first floor level or finished floor. This can be a great help if you can layout the plumbing for the handicap bathroom, laundry room and accessible kitchen as close to the parting wall of the house as possible. The accessible design for those rooms can be found in the Universal Design in Housing.

*For Garage Mother In Law Suite pictures click here

Accessible Ramp Design

Grandpa Trying Out His New Wheelchair Ramp

What if you need to add an accessible wheelchair ramp for exterior entrance to the main level of your new mother in-law suite? Everything you need to know about that ramp like how wide it needs to be, what height do you need for hand railings, the shape of the hand railing, the per cent of grade allowed, turning radius, land pad dimensions, it is all contained in the accessible design guidelines.

Universal Code Is The Key To A Successful In Law Suite

I will be breaking the encyclopedia of accessible design in future articles. If you have a question on any of the subjects mentioned above or any other project your starting, feel free to drop me a line in the comment box and I will give it my best shot. Planning is seeking knowledge. Knowledge can save you time and money.Universal Code

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Adult Day Care and Mother In Law Suites; A Balanced Approach

Tom — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:36:12 +0000

I have been getting really good comments from our readers about something very important that goes hand and hand with an In-Law Suite for aging in place. It will allow your loved one to create good interaction with their pear group and create personal freedom for you.

The important something is Adult Day Care or senior centers. They can be an important component in your loved one’s life. Adult day care centers will offer physical activity, balanced mental stimulation, new social ties and a new sense of purpose.

Different Generations

I look at it this way, your loved one is usually from another generation. Just having them come to live with you is not the some total of the answer to a problem. How would you like to go live with a group of teenagers? Even though they may love us, it doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t be comfortable interacting with us 24/7. The same should be considered with our loved one. This is why senior day care is a very important building block for the success of aging in place and mother in law suites.

If you’re loved one is confined to their home or In-Law Suite, a home care provider is another major building block. It matters not, whether the in home care giver is hired or a family member they must be educated to the basics needs of the senior or loved one.

Lifestyle Effects Longevity

According to the book titled “Happy to 102” their five building blocks of “The Balanced Care Method” are nutrition, physical activity, mental stimulation, social ties and sense of purpose. These five things can lead to the success of slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s.

It has been found that one third of our longevity is based on genetics leaving two thirds based on life style changes. You and/or your care giver can start these changes for your loved one tomorrow. Its exciting to see how a small amount of knowledge can change a whole life style and as a result the quality of life.

Check out this video to learn more about lifestyle changes and how they can effect longevity;

Adult Day Care

In the early stages of Adult Day Care your loved one will generally have one care giver for 8 to 10 seniors at a senior day care center. As time progresses and your loved one becomes home bound, an In law Suite with a qualified home care giver delivers a ratio of one on one interaction. The one on one home care can help maintain physical activity, mental stimulation and promote a positive sense of purpose.

Here is a helpful link to learning more about Adult Day care and how to find one that fits your needs;

HelpGuide.org

Planning Ahead

Mother In Law Suites become very important because of its flexibility. Because it is a place just for your loved one, the spaces can change as your loved one’s needs change. If they have to have physical therapy in place, a living room space in the In Law Suite can become a therapy room. Before you build an In Law Suite, plan for the changes of aging in place to extend the length of your loved ones stay.

In this age of high speed communication there is no reason to remain uninformed to these life giving changes. I find as I delve into information for In-LawSuite.com I see how the life style changes are here for me and you today. If you have anything to share about Adult day care centers please leave a comment below!

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How We Built Our Garage In-Law Suite

Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:38:52 +0000

My wife and I knew we had to do something rather quickly for the well being off my mother in-law. She needed 24/7 care. She wanted her own space but was unable to take care of herself. Barb (my wife) and I talked it out. We needed a place she could use on the first level of our house.

We had only one place available. It was our attached garage. We decided it was the best to build a garage apartment or Mother in -law suite for Barb’s mom there.

How We Built Our Garage In-Law Suite

We made an entrance door off our laundry area to the single slip of ourgarage. Our garage was deep enough that we built a bedroom, adequate size closet, accessible bathroom with a custom shower, kitchenette and small sitting area. We made the entire space independently tempered by using a self contained electric HVAC system that fit into a small closet space off the kitchenette.

The entire in-law suite fit inside the single car slip of our three car garage. We raised the floor of the in-law suite with wood framing to match the existing finish floor elevation of our home. We used 2×4 wood studs to frame all four perimeter walls. We insulated and dry walled the perimeter walls. Now we had a rectangle of the total square footage for the mother in-law suite.

Next, we installed a drop ceiling across the full dimensions of the mother in-law suite. By framing the interior wall after the drop ceiling it allowed us to easily wire from the top down for all power outlets, switches, coaxial cable for TV, phone lines and monitoring system drops. We utilized a 2×2 drop ceiling. It made the space look larger. The drop ceiling gave us the capability to add or relocate any wiring changes just by lifting a ceiling panel and execute the change.

We used can lighting, dimmers and illuminated switches throughout all the rooms. Illuminated switches help your loved one find the switches easily in the dark. We even placed an illuminated switch by the bed. This would allow my mother in-law to turn the light on or off in the comfort of her bed.

Our central vacuum system based unit was in the garage. It was very simple to add a port for the mother in-law suite.

We used 3/8” engineered composite wood flooring. It is free floating. It is flexible and easy to install and maintain. We installed a heating outlet in the crawl space. This allowed the heater to keep the floor toasty and warm for bare feet.

My wife’s mother loved here place. She raved about it to any one who would listen. It became her place, her personal space. She liked the temperature set to 80 degrees all the time. That’s ok. That’s what it was for.

Our garage was perfect for her. It was quick, simple, warm, and home. Take a look at the video of our mother in-law’s suite, our garage apartment floor plan, or you can even use our free concept design form to get started on your garage renovation for a mother in law suite!

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Mother In Law Suite Floor Plans

Tom — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:11:08 +0000

We have put together some Mother In Law Suite Floor Plans to help you start thinking about the best way to lay out your mother in-law suite. These are just examples, but they help to illustrate how simple and efficient design can help you keep your loved one safe and still maintain the highest level of independence possible, while at the same time adding value to your home.

In Law Suite Floor Plans

Each in law suite floor plan is designed around one of three different home remodeling application. If thinking about the mother in law suite floor plan layout is a little too overwhelming for you at this stage, please try our free mother in law suite design form to help you take the first step in making sure you have considered as many of your loved ones needs as possible. This simple form will also e-mail you a list that will be the basis for your floor plan design and will help ease you into designing the perfect mother in law suite for you and your family!

Mother In Law Suite Addition Floor Plan

This in law suite addition plan is perfect for adding some extra space for mom. The size can be adjusted to suite your special needs. Adding a mother in law suite addition to your home can give your aging parent the privacy they need and the peace of mind you need too.

Mother In Law Suite Addition Floor Plan

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Mother In Law Suite Basement Floor Plan

Adding a mother in law suite to your basement is a cost effective way to add comfortable and safe living space to you home. Basement mother in law suites work best with a walkout basement but there are many solutions available to help you build a basement in law suite even if you don’t have a walkout style basement.

Mother In Law Suite Basement Floor Plan

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Mother In Law Suite Garage Floor Plan

Remodeling your garage for a mother in law suite may be the most cost effective solution to creating a safe and comforting place for mom in your home. Since the garage is already connected to your home its not har to relocate electricity and plumbing if the design is well thought out. The foundation is already there as well and since it was made for a car to drive into the grade of your land is probably even with at least some part of the garage structure and will make it easy to build an accessible entrance for your loved one to safely enter and exit their new home.

Mother In Law Suite Garage Floor Plan

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Basement Remodeling Solutions for Mother In Law Suites

Tom — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:47:06 +0000

Do you have a big basement that would make a great living space for your loved one, but no walk out? That’s not a big problem thanks to the innovation of concrete cutting.

Concrete Foundation walls can be cut to exact dimensions for an exterior door with a stairway or walk out that will meet most code requirements for a “secondary egress”. Egress is a term meaning away from confinement or way out”. This “secondary egress” will allow your basement to become a true acceptable “living space”. Remember any area that is a “living space” can be counted as added square footage of your home at resale, increasing its value.

The Window Well

Did you know there is another solution to creating a secondary egress in concrete walls? It’s a great new product known as “Rockwell” window wells. This awesome new product is economical, strong, smart looking, extremely durable and pretty much maintenance free. Take a look at this product on line at www.rockwellinc.com. They have a great slide show and list to help you see actual applications and help you simplify your basement mother in-law suite design.

A product such as “Rockwell” window wells usually comes in sections that bolt into the existing foundation. These sections simply stack one on another to create a wonderful natural lighting solution to the secondary egress. It can make any basement feel open and airy. It allows egress to any room in your basement. At the bottom of the massive window well is an area drain to drain naturally away or to a sump pump, with battery back up. This drain is covered with clean crushed stone or clean gravel.

Problem Solved!

New innovations in concrete cutting, has taken the old closed up basement with those tiny little windows and transform it into a comfortable safe environment. If you want to talk with a concrete cutting contractor you can Google “concrete cutting contractors”.

Find an architect who can give good structural advice and give you a layout to best use you basement. Here are some basic Mother In Law Suite Plans to help ou get started. Be safe and have fun with your project!

Check out this link to see more; Mother In law Suite Basement Renovation

If you have any other helpful information or thoughts to share about basement renovation solutions we’d love to hear from you!

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Mother-in-Law Suite vs. Cost of Nursing Home Care

Tom — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:05:50 +0000

Caring for an older relative can be difficult, and many of us wonder whether we are capable of providing the care our relatives need as they get older and less capable of taking care of themselves. The good news is that in many cases parents and other relatives who have health and mobility issues can thrive in the home environment. The key is to make the right preparations and establish a comfortable and safe home environment for your aging loved ones.

Building an In-Law Suite

Building a so-called mother-in-law suite in your own home can be a great way to keep your loved ones in your home – and out of nursing home care – while still enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing your loved ones will be safe. By building safety mechanisms and mobility aids into the suite you will be able to provide excellent care, enjoy precious time together as a family and avoid the cost and difficult adjustments of nursing home care.

Caring for your aging loved ones at home with a mother-in-law suite in your own home has a great many advantages – both for your aging relatives and for the rest of your family. For instance a mother-in-law suite in your home means that your aging parents can remain together, something that is not an option in many nursing homes. A mother-in-law suite also offers an important measure of privacy and dignity, an important consideration for anyone no matter what their age.

Counting The Cost

A mother-in-law suite can also be a far less costly option than traditional nursing home care. In fact the cost of an entire mother-in-law suite equipped with the latest safety adaptations and mobility gadgets can cost less than a single year of nursing home care. And the mother-in-law suite can help your aging loved ones remain with their family members much longer, perhaps for their entire lives. This can provide much needed peace of mind, not only for your loved ones but for your extended family as well.

Family

With a mother-in-law suite the grandkids can enjoy the company of their grandparents, while you can continue to learn from the wisdom of your parents of your in-laws. With families so often separated – both by geography and by circumstances – it is hard to overestimate the advantages that come when the family is gathered under the same roof.

So if you have been looking for a practical way to give your aging parents or other loved ones a safe and comfortable place to get the care they need, the answer may be as close as your own home. Building a mother-in-law suite is a great way to keep your loved ones safe from harm without subjecting them to the high costs and disruptions that nursing home care can sometimes bring.

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