Signs It May Be Time To Move Your Parent in with You

Every family and every parent is different, and it’s not always easy to tell when the time is right to invite your parent to live with you. Although his or her safety has a lot to do with this intensely personal decision, it is also important to consider your parent’s emotional stake in his or her current residence and weigh that against the possible risks of staying there. You don’t want to your parent to come to any physical harm, but neither do you want to damage or traumatize him or her emotionally.

Ultimately, as long as your elderly parent is of sound mind, the final decision on the matter will be up to him or her. At this stage, your job is simply to help your parent make the right decision.

Physical Considerations

If your elderly parent has recently had an accident or even a number of close calls, it may be time for him or her to move in with you. If an accident happens while he or she is living alone, it may take far too long for anyone to become aware of the situation and for help to arrive.

Social Considerations

Living alone can often be a source of social isolation for an elderly parent. If your parent has plenty of friends that regularly visit, this may be less of a concern. If, on the other hand, he or she spends practically his or her entire life alone behind closed doors, this may be another incentive to invite him or her to live in your home.

A shriveled social life can also lead to greater vulnerability to stress-related health conditions, specifically heart problems. Moving in with you could actually help improve your aging parent’s health.

Maintenance Considerations

Sometimes even the mundane tasks of daily living can become difficult for an elderly parent to manage on his or her own. Cooking can become a nearly insurmountable object. Doing the laundry can take hours, and shopping can take days.

If you notice that your aging parent’s house is beginning to look dirty and unkempt, this may be a sign that it is time to invite him or her to live with you. This also applies to your parent’s personal appearance. If your usually meticulous parent is beginning to look somewhat disheveled, he or she may welcome the invitation to live in your home where help and care will be much more readily available.

Medication Considerations

If your parent is on a specific medication plan but often forgets to take the pills at the proper time, this may be another contributing factor in your deciding to invite him or her to live with you. Having your aging parent stay in the spare room can help you make sure he or she is faithful to take his or her daily meds.

When showering becomes a challenge due to illness, limited strength or mobility, a roll-in shower can be the perfect solution. Roll-in showers are designed as an open stall with no curb so that wheelchairs can be rolled in and out easily. The shower floor is level with the bathroom floor, so there is nothing to step over or into. For those who cannot stand, a roll-in shower can provide a convenient way to bathe without assistance from others. For caregivers, roll-in showers make bathing those with upper body limitations or severe disabilities easier.

Who Can a Roll-In Shower Help?

Roll-in showers can make life safer and more pleasant for the elderly, the disabled, those with serious injuries, those recovering from surgery, patients with balance problems, neuromuscular diseases, chronic pain, arthritis, spinal disorders and anyone caring for those who have such challenges. Seniors who are able to stand and walk can still benefit from the barrier-free design of a roll-in shower. It eliminates the need to lift the legs high enough to step over a barrier.

Benefits of a Roll-In Shower

The convenience of being able to roll into a barrier-free shower can give those with physical challenges increased independence. These showers offer easy entry and exit, and they eliminate the risk of bathing-related falls. Various models offer safety grab bars, seating and shelving options. Shower controls are fitted at a level that is easy to reach from a seated position, and a hand-held showerhead is standard.

Superior to Removable Shower Aids

There are several assistive devices on the market that help with bathing. Tub chairs, transfer benches and shower stools are inexpensive options, but they still require some range of motion, and they take a considerable amount of effort and time to use. This may leave bathers exhausted from their hygiene routine instead of refreshed and comfortable. Unlike simple shower walls and floors, these items can be difficult to keep clean. If others in the home also use the shower, seats and benches have to be constantly taken in and out. This is not an issue with a roll-in stall. A roll-in shower is a practical, easily maintained, permanent solution that will not require later additions or replacements.

When to Install a Roll-In Shower

The right time to install this product is often sooner than it is needed. If baby-boomers plan on caring for their elderly parents at home, adding these helpful elements when the house is built or during a renovation is the most practical and economical choice. In the case of a roll-in shower, the product is attractive and fully usable by all members of the family, so it does not create a flaw in the style or decor of the home if installed a few years ahead of time. When it is necessary, it will be there. There will be no transitional use of awkward shower seats or benches needed in the case of sudden illness or mobility issues.

Finding the Right Roll-In

Finding the right style and size of roll-in shower can be easier with the help of your building or remodeling contractor. To get started, obtain the exact measurements of the bathroom where the stall will be placed. There are many different models and brands to choose from. Some are simple one-piece units and others have multiple parts. Some styles can accommodate custom installations. Many roll-in shower products are listed as ADA compliant. Some well-known manufacturers of curbless showers include Accessibility Professionals Inc., Sterling Plumbing, Kohler, Best Bath Systems and others. Check with your supplier or contractor for a full list of available brands and products.

The post war boom in housing produced millions of these homes throughout the country. Significant inventory of these homes exist and thrive today in communities such as Ladue, Olivette, Town & Country, Frontenac, Clayton, and Kirkwood to name just a few in St. Louis County.

Considering The Possibilities

1. Go Green: If a home is in sufficient repairable state, then we are doing the environment and our communities at large a favor by preserving that which took a significant amount of energy and material to build in the first place. In other words this is a sustainable or “green” thing to do. A recent study indicated that a 30% increase in energy efficiency will essentially remain a plus for the environment more than a newly constructed home of similar efficiencies.
2. Give It A Facelift: Many of those ranch homes are easy to renovate compared to homes built early in the century. It often is relatively simple to remove walls and rearrange spaces for a more current life style. The styling of many of these ranch homes is bland if not boring. It can be either a simple and economical face lift or a more ambitious renovation generating a different style suited to the Owner’s taste. In the hands of a skilled Architect, changing the look can often salvage and upgrade a home to a current style and preserve and increase the property value. This also contributes to the neighborhood and community fabric.
3. Add A Second Floor: Many of these homes are built sufficiently strong that they can support a second floor, without a great deal of reinforcing to the existing home. Of course these considerations need to be analyzed by an Architect or Structural Engineer.
4. Upgrades To Save Energy: Often these homes were built simple enough that in the course of renovation, upgrading windows and doors will increase value, styling and energy efficiency. Adding insulation and other weatherization factors is relatively a simple process. There are companies available that provide, for reasonable fees, an energy analysis which will indicate a dollars and cents view of the potential costs and energy savings over a period of time.
5. Aging In Place: There’s little doubt that we have an enormous aging population many of which prefer to stay in a home for the remainder of their years. Living on 1 floor certainly is an advantage in terms of mobility, and these ranch homes suit this situation appropriately. Upgrading kitchens, bathrooms and access issues are in order here.

Shown here are 2 versions of divergent styles as upgrade possibilities for the façade of an existing ranch in Olivette.

Purchasing and Renovating

In this current economic climate it seems prudent to consider purchasing and renovating a ranch. Consultation with an Architect, Engineer and/or a renovation specialist contractor is economical and a smart investment in analyzing the possibilities. Lastly, soliciting input from your real estate agent in regards to the effect of improvements on the value of your project is a smart thing to do.

Below is a before and after picture of a 50’s ranch addition we built for a client in Olivette.

Before

After

Article By:
Alan J.Berkowitz, AIA
Alan is an Architect who has specialized in renovations, additions, facelifts, historic restoration work and new
homes for more than 28 years along with a career in industrial product design. He graduated with degrees
in Architecture and Engineering from the University of Kansas. He and his family have lived in a 50’s ranch
that is a work in progress. berkowitzdesign.com

Different Categories of Aging in Place

The different categories of aging in place include urgent needs, progressive conditions and no urgent needs.

• Urgent needs require immediate changes in the living environment such as universal design or home modifications.
• Progressive conditions are conditions that are not urgent but will become manifest in the future. They include heart or lung disease or diabetes that may cause difficulty in living at a later stage in life.
• No urgent need includes people who do not have any health or mobility issues and prefer to remain in their homes.

What are the Home Modifications needed for Aging in Place?

Homes need to be modified to include conveniences that make everyday living easier for aged people. Falling is one of the most common injuries for aged people and can even cause death. Preventing falls is crucial for a person who would like to age in place. This means support in the bathroom and shower, railings on stairs, no loose throw rugs or obstructed pathways.

Increased lighting and easily accessible switches, nonskid flooring, ramps and sliding shelves are other things that make a home safer. These changes are not expensive and relatively minor. There may be other, more drastic changes that need to be done in some cases such as the installation of a private elevator, adjusting counter top heights and constructing new first floor master suites.

How to Become a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist?

The CAPS training program was created by the Remodelers™ Council of the National Association of Home Builders, in together with the NAHB Research Center, Seniors Housing Council and the Association of the Aging and Retired People. The training includes learning about:

• The needs of older people
• Specific home modifications that support independent living
• The most common types of remodeling required
• The most common obstacles and their solutions

The program also teaches how to make the remodeling aesthetically pleasing as well as obstacle-free for a safe living environment.

How to find Training for CAPS?

There are several places online where candidates can find CAPS training programs including the NAHB website and the AARP website. The program is three days and addresses the technical needs for this specific market as well as the communication skills needed to give the best possible modifications for the customer.

The program also teaches how to market aging in place to increase the number of people who select this option. Many older people may not be aware that there is help available for them to make their homes livable for when they become older and have special needs. Children of aging parents may also not be aware of this option.

After the training program is completed, participants must complete the graduation application and submit it to the NAHB University of Housing. CAPS graduates are not merely home remodelers. They offer a service to the public and take a pledge to uphold a code of ethics. They may retain their certificate only by joining continuing educational programs and participating in community service.

Familiar Surroundings That Become Alien Environments

One of the advantages of aging in place is familiarity with surroundings where seniors live. However, this can be a compromising situation especially if there are physical debilitations. It takes careful planning to arrive at the best solutions and decisions regarding aging in place. Begin planning by discussing the needs of the aging thoroughly. This should start long before decisions become necessary.

Know Their Wishes Beforehand

Most individuals know their wishes for their senior years well before they reach an age when health changes related to normal aging are apparent. Encourage aging relatives early to make their feelings known on to their families and friends who are involved in their planning for their future. This helps make families and friends aware of an aging individual’s wishes.

Adapting To Changes

One of the most difficult issues for most aging seniors is adapting to radical changes in their lives. Creature comforts they’ve come to rely on and the security of familiar surroundings can help retain vigor and mental acuity and may become the basis for maintaining a routine of good health. Introduce change gradually to a aging individual’s living space. This is one way of overcoming elder resistance to necessary changes.

Drawbacks Of Aging In Place

It’s crucial to understand that all individuals, regardless of age, have a basic human need for independence. Aging seniors find the most difficulty with relinquishing their independence and autonomy. Retrofit their living space with all of the safety accessories that make senior lifestyles less hazardous and more secure. However, the issue of whether the aging can maintain adequate personal care can become obscured in their efforts to retain their autonomy and independence. This issue is a main drawback of aging in place that exacerbates over the long term.

Planning For Aging In Place

Families should discuss how much or how little care is adequate with aging relatives. Many of these seniors prefer to manage their own lives without realizing they may be compromising good health. Planning for aging in place should be practical as well as beneficial to all concerned. A plan of action that has the elements of gradual change according to changing health needs is likely to work best when discussed fully. Plan strategies for aging in place for the short term and long term to cover any potential problems that will arise.

Where To Find The Best Resources For Planning

Fortunately, there are a vast supply of resources that assist families with plans for aging in place. Start with local resources that assist with changes to home design needed to assure safety. This might be a senior citizen resource center in a local town, county or state. There are easily accessible statewide resources for most senior citizen needs. Certain private organizations also serve the aging. Some of these organizations are non-profit, while others are not. Choose the resources that best fit the financial situations of the aged.

Resources For Aging In Place

Regular senior citizen transportation is also available through city, county and state subsidies that make travel safe and affordable. Keep this in mind when driving a personal vehicle by the aging is no longer an option. The federal government also can be prevailed upon for assistance through Medicare or Medicaid. The Social Security Administration also offers assistance to seniors in need. Look for an information clearing house for directives or assistance with aging in place. AARP is one such informational group that provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information.

Aging In Place – A Mutual Choice

Families with aging parents want to insure their golden years are safe and offer maximum quality of life. This takes advance planning. The crux of discussions should focus on arriving at a mutual choice based upon mutual understanding between the aging and their families.

What Are Mother In law Suites?

Mother-in-law suites are typically entry-level dwellings. Similar to a small or studio apartment, most suites include a bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchenette. To accommodate the elderly, most secondary suites have safety features such as handrails, walk-in showers and are wheelchair-accessible. Many also offer amenities such as intercom systems, private telephone lines and security features.

Benefits Of Homes With Mother In Law Suites

With baby boomers reaching retirement age, senior care is a growing concern in the Untied States. Many individuals with elderly parents are looking for options concerning the care of their parents. For these individuals, purchasing a home with a mother-in-law suite can be a solution to these concerns. Below are just a few of the many benefits of owning a home with a mother in law suite.

• Nursing Home Alternative -For seniors in relatively good health, mother-in-law suites offer a great alternative to nursing homes or assisted living communities. Senior care can be a significant source of anxiety for family and loved ones. And while nursing homes may be the best option for some, many children of the elderly don’t feel comfortable entrusting their parents’ health, safety and well-being to strangers. By having elderly parents in their homes, children won’t have to worry about the quality of care their loved ones are receiving.
• Privacy - Mother-in-law suits are usually designed to give a fair amount of privacy to the person living there. This is beneficial to many senior citizens who may be reluctant to live with their children. With a mother-in-law suite, elderly parents won’t feel like they’ve become burdens to their family. Secondary suites allow the elderly to retain a good deal of independence, while having family close by provides safety and peace of mind to all parties involved. Having a parent living in a secondary suite in the home can also strengthen family bonds by having multiple generations under one roof.
• Planning For The Future - For individuals with parents who still live safely and comfortable on their own, buying a home with a secondary suite can be a great way to plan for the future. Although they may not need it at the time, having a secondary suite can bring peace of mind to children and parents alike.
• Rental properties - As mother-in-law suites can make ideal rental properties, purchasing a home with a secondary suite can be a great monetary investment. During difficult economic times, having the extra income of a rental property can be of great financial benefit. And since most secondary suites have private entrances, families won’t have to worry about having close, constant contact with tenants.
• Guest Quarters - Many families use mother-in-law suites for guest accommodations. Although many people enjoy having house guests, cramped quarters and lack of privacy can be stressful on the entire household. Secondary suites provide a solution to these problems, and give guests a place where they can relax without feeling like they’re in the way. With private bathrooms and living areas, guests and hosts alike will enjoy the comforts of a secondary suite.
• Adult Children - Secondary suites also make great living quarters for adult children. For example, they can provide college-age children independence while still enjoying the comforts of home. Sending children away to college can cause parents a great amount of worry, and can also be difficult financially. Secondary suites provide parents with the peace of mind of having their children close by, and can also be significantly cheaper than student housing. Suites also supply students with a safe, quiet place to study, and can help older children become accustomed to living on their own.

No matter their current needs, nearly all families can benefit from purchasing a home with a mother-in-law suite. Whether you plan on using it as a home for a loved one, a comfortable place for house guests or a rental property, secondary suites can provide comfort, peace of mind and better quality of life for the entire family.

Image Courtesy of Stanton Homes

Aging-in-place Technology Facilitates Independence

Technology presents a double-edged sword for many older people. Although the potential benefits clearly favor technological advances, many retired people have never acquired the essential skills to utilize modern services effectively. Many products and services have sprouted to assist seniors, but nursing homes and assisted living facilities often drag their heels when it comes to implementation. A great deal of tech inertia confronts the senior market. Competitive companies concentrate on the most profitable demographic sectors, leaving senior citizens to sink or swim. This attitude demonstrates incredible shortsightedness, because retired citizens live longer lives and make extremely loyal customers.

Current Technology for Senior Living Accommodations

Children can help by providing current technology to their aging parents. Four current technologies provide substantial senior benefits, and a fifth should be developed due to its potential usefulness.

1. High-speed Internet Access The difference between high-speed browsing and dial-up access makes Internet use much more intuitive and useful for impatient senior citizens. Waiting on page loads and downloads frustrates users, and a quality connection can make it so much easier to enjoy online resources. Senior rooms, homes or guest apartments should feature this essential living-in-place technology.
2. Skype and Video Conferencing - Skype can help families get together for special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. The ability to see and hear events as they unfold enhances family togetherness and can provide crucial access for senior citizens to keep them involved among all family generations. The video record could become priceless in the future, allowing unborn generations to meet their ancestors during family gatherings. Families should provide patient senior instruction so family elders can log on successfully. Thoughtful children should also choose assisted living facilities on the basis of the assistance these places offer to facilitate technology connections.
3. PERS and GPS Locator Technology - Seniors that suffer mild Alzheimer’s or have other medical conditions benefit when someone can locate them easily. Seniors could become forgetful or get lost while on an outing, even when adequately supervised. Families can instruct their relatives in how to use GPS to find their way, and a PERS or GPS locator allows relatives to locate senior citizens wherever they go. The only downside involves encouraging independent people to wear the devices whenever they leave their residences. Creative persuasion will ensure elderly family members always carry their locators with them.
4. Kindle Reader - Kindle Reader offer affordable technology for a world of entertainment for seniors living at home or in assisted living housing. Relatives should furnish these devices to help seniors find productive ways to spend free time. If relatives live in nursing facilities, them people could provide several readers for the community area, so relatives and their friends could enjoy thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers.

Urgently Needed Technology

Medication Management. Seniors must often take an astonishing number of pills each day. Pillboxes with daily dosages might provide some assistance, and nurses often supervise dispensing medicines in assisted living scenarios. Keeping these records takes valuable time away from duty nurses, who could be offering personal assistance to residents instead of counting pills. Aging-in-place technology should develop a system that tracks medication and warns people when a dose is missed. Seniors taking multiple medications could easily lose track of which pills they have taken and which remain. Compartmentalized pill boxes require accurately dispensing medicines into the right compartments, and they do not allow for differences in time of day when pills should be taken.

Share your comments and experiences with aging in place technology below!

The baby boomers – those born from the end of World War II into the early 1960s – comprise the largest generation the US has known. The boomers have changed every social structure they have moved through, and now the first of the boomers have started to retire. In decades past, families often took care of their own aging parents. Nursing homes were dreaded destinations for those whose care needs were beyond the abilities of family members in an age in which home health care was virtually unknown. As families increasingly became defined as being two-earner entities and as divorce rates increased, adult children and their aging parents found themselves with fewer and fewer options. Seniors loathe leaving their homes, however, and technological advances are such that baby boomers can both care for their aging parents and continue to pursue careers and basic livelihood.

Technology’s Influence

Computers, email, cell phones and other common technological tools came to be commonplace with many individuals in the bottom age range of those who now are considered to be elderly. They used those technological tools in work and life, and so they are not entirely foreign. Others did not use such tools, and technology remains mysterious though they know those tools exist. The technological advances that currently exist are simply astounding even for the most technologically-connected, however. Tools that exist today can be of great assistance for still-working caregivers. Tools expected to be available in the next several years are nothing short of astounding.

Fall Alerts

Consider falls, as example. The “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” line has been abused by comedians over the years and has come to be a point of derision, at least until such a fall becomes a possibility or even a reality. For the senior, often the tipping point between being able to remain at home and having to move to an assisted living or skilled nursing facility is such a fall. Stories of seniors who have fallen at home and been stranded in the floor for days are commonplace.
One of the technological innovations that will be available in the future is the fall alert system. The system as envisioned may take one of two forms, each of which begins with a house-wide network of sensors. The first approach requires placement of sensors in the floors of each room, and in several places. Where there is weight that has not been present in the past, the sensor can serve to alert a remote caregiver. The second approach causes sensors to initiate alerts when there is lack of movement in a room when movement should be expected.

Safety Issues

Managers of assisted living facilities specializing in Alzheimer’s patients often disconnect ranges so that there is no danger of fire originating from a forgotten stove eye. One of the solutions that technology offers is a “smart” stove eye that turns off when there is no weight on the eye for some period of time. The stove allows the senior to cook, but it also turns itself off if the senior forgets.
Some seniors have no difficulty with wearing an alert necklace that calls a monitoring company, but others consider such appliances to be only for “old” people even though the security the necklace offers is attractive. For years there have been telephones targeting those seniors. The senior wears a necklace and perhaps places another by the bed. If the senior has a problem and pulls the cord on the necklace, that action initiates a telephone call first to some preprogrammed number and then to 911.

Some of the Products

FrontPoint Security provides wireless home security that the homeowner installs. One thing that separates FrontPoint Security from other security systems is that it is wireless and operates over the cell phone system, preventing it from being circumvented by would-be intruders. This fact alone makes it attractive as a basic security system, but it offers specific features that makes it highly attractive for baby boomer caregivers. Of course there are sensors for windows and doors, but the company also offers cameras that can be placed in any number of rooms. What occurs in front of those cameras then can be accessed through a smart phone. For baby boomer caregivers with careers or who simply need an income, this feature allows them to view rooms where their parents might be. They can see either that all is well or that it is not; in any case, they can act on the information they gain through the combination of the camera and their smart phone.

HaloMonitoring.com provides fall detection automatically when a fall occurs. Seniors who do fall generally never are able to manually activate an alarm, according to HaloMonitoring. The individual may be stunned or even injured with a broken hip. The HaloMonitoring device can be worn on the wrist or around the chest under clothing. If the senior falls, the monitoring device sends a message for help, without the need for the senior to take any other action. The HaloMonitoring device also tracks vital signs, including heart rate and temperature. The device also “knows” when it is not being used and will dial the company’s call center to report that fact. Perhaps best of all, either the individual wearing the HaloMonitoring device or select family members can log onto the company’s website to check on the current status of a HaloMonitoring customer who also is a client.

The Oregon Center for Aging and Technology (ORCATech) is developing an array of future products and currently testing others at a Portland, Oregon retirement community. One volunteer has sensors on surfaces all over her apartment, including ceilings, doors, furniture and appliances. The sensors monitor how often she moves in her apartment and the speed at which she moves. Because the sensors are just that and contain no cameras, she has no worries about her privacy.
Another ORCATech item she is testing is a smart pillbox. It reminds her when to take vitamins and medications, and keeps a record of her compliance. ORCATech also has supplied her with a computer on which she plays specific games. The games are word and number games, and the computer tracks her scores. The goal of this activity is to track changes in cognitive ability. If it declines, caregivers can intervene much earlier.
The program volunteer’s favorite ORCATech test item is a wireless video communication robot that can follow her from room to room. The V-Go Active Presence Robot has been used for some time in business and so is already available. ORCATech’s test is for senior-specific use. The Oregon volunteer uses Skype but complains that is only stationary. Relatives and caregivers can activate the robot as well, allowing them to check on the user any time a concern arises.

Future View

Intel Corporation and GE are collaborating on product development focusing on allowing seniors to age in place. Many existing products are very new and can be expected to be enhanced in the future, and many other products are being developed. Still others, such as the V-Go robot, are being repurposed specifically for the growing “gray” market.

References:

Hernandez, Manuel E., Allon Goldberg and Neil B. Alexander (2010, January). Decreased Muscle Strength Relates to Self-Reported Stooping, Crouching, or Kneeling Difficulty in Older Adults. Physical Therapy, 90(1), p. 67.
Imagine the Future of Aging. (2007, August 13). YouTube.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBH9dkCZsXQ.
myHalo Advanced Medical Alarm with Automatic Fall Detection System Overview. (n.d.). YouTube.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3iDr5o_xmY&feature=player_embedded.
Oregon Center for Aging and Technology. (n.d.). Orcatech.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.orcatech.org.
Parisi, Jeanine M. (2010, March). Engagement in Adulthood: Perceptions and Participation in Daily Activities. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 34(1), p. 1.
Singer, Natasha (2011, February 5). In a Graying Population, Business Opportunity. The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.orcatech.org/NYT.Feb.5.2011.A.Graying.Population.Spells.Business.Opportunity.pdf.
Skiba, Katherine (2008, June 18). Healthcare Costs and Social Security Could Cause Economic Woes; At a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Gene Dodaro warns that the country is on unsustainable path. U.S. News & World Report, p. NA.
VGo Communications’s V-Go Active Presence Robot. (2010, June 11). YouTube.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSV_v9zeVkA.

1) Are There Any Covenants or Restriction to Keep You From Building a Mother-in-Law Suite?

Check with your subdivision, city and/or your county to see if they will allow two separate households to reside at the same address. You may be able to use same address “front, rear or side”. Even if you don’t need a permit to build your in-law suite always ask this question. Is there any public entity that may have judgment over your “zoning” privileges? Zoning can specifically define the use of your property.

2) Are Your Existing Utilities Sufficient For A Mother In Law Suite?

This could be a big one. Check the utilities of your existing home, to include the electrical service (power panel), the plumbing (both waste and water supply) and the heating/ cooling system to see if they are large enough to handle the new in-law suite. Use our “Concept Design Form” found at or website. Print it out and present it to a licensed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor to evaluate the additional need that the remodeling project will demand. They will be able to give you a ballpark estimate on the cost according to your need. Caution, some of the MEP upgrades costs will be quite significant but they are necessary to a successful project that will add value to your home.

3) Hiring An Architect?

I suggest hiring a licensed architect. Here again, use our “Concept Design Form” listing the number of bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms and other rooms you think are required to help an architect find the layout that will give you the best use of the square footage you have to work with. Remember that this space is for home care for a senior or other loved one. You’ve got one shot so get it right the first time. You may also need an architect’s seal on the drawing for the building permits. He will also make sure you meet compliance for emergency and secondary egress. As a Realtor I see clients shocked after spending hard earned money to remodel and find that without the correct window size or walk out, that it does not qualify for “living space”. That could mean a big fat zero gain when you list your home for sale.

4) Getting Estimates

The documents the architect produces gives you a devise to obtain complete estimates with fewer duplications and/or omissions. Getting three estimates is standard operating procedure. Give the contractor two weeks or fourteen working days for a bid dead line. Put in writing. Remember this is a buyers market. Be sure to have a schedule including a start date, a completion date and a payment schedule. Most contractors use the one-third system. Once again get it in writing, one-third on starting, one-third at the middle of the schedule, and one-third on completion. Get lien waivers from the general contractor as well as his sub-contractors and suppliers. Make sure the big ticket items are paid for, such as the ac-unit, copper wire and power panel box, bath tub with surround, roll-in shower, doors and windows, flooring, etc. Make their certificate of insurance for liability and worker comp part of the contract. One last thing you might want to get in writing is to make sure they supply a port-a-potty. This will help to keep your bathrooms clean during the construction.

5) Choosing The Right Contractor for Your Project

Pick a contractor that you feel at ease with. Check his references. Check all of them. How long has he/she been in business? Ask friends, neighbors and even your city about them. Use the Better Business Bureau. They may have a record of any complaints about them and how the complaints were handled. You must be sure that your contractor is trustworthy, responsible and prompt. This is a time of quick decision and close working space. I always feel as if I am at my clients beckon call. You never know when the electric will go off or the water doesn’t work. I’ve seen it all. The best-laid plans do go a stray. You probably have better odds at the casino than having a completed project end without some kind of hiccup. Building your mother-in-law suite can be a good experience. If you ask lots of question, do your homework, and choose wisely, you have a pretty good shot at enjoying the construction of your mother-in-law suite.

Modular Mother In Law Suites

The Rockfall Company, LLC, a Connecticut-based modular builder and home remodeler, has developed and is currently introducing a modular home addition that can significantly affect the lives of thousands. Their specially-trained staff of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (“CAPS”, a designation awarded by the National Association of Home Builders in cooperation with AARP) has been focused on the goal of keeping the elderly and handicapped out of institutions, and they may have indeed taken a major step forward. A visit to the company’s website, www.palsbuilt.com will present a more complete description of their “Practical Assisted Living Structures”(PALS) modules.

These units are modular home additions designed to quickly (e.g. in a matter of days following delivery) and inexpensively modify virtually any home to provide the homeowner with a specially-adapted bathroom, bedroom and living space for use by an elderly or handicapped family member in need of such accommodations. Rockfall recently installed the first of these units in the home of a disabled veteran in West Haven, Connecticut and a second in the home of another disabled vet in Bristol, CT. Both installations are highlighted on the website, and more are in the works, including one being considered by a family living with MS and another with an elderly (94-year old) mother. These pre-manufactured modules, when coupled with the home-delivered skilled and custodial services provided by home care agencies and medical equipment suppliers, offer very low-cost alternatives to nursing homes and other institutional providers. While the basic module offers complete bedroom, living room and bath accommodations, the possibilities for expansion are practically limitless including specially-adapted kitchen facilities, patient transfer accommodations, 24-hour patient monitoring capabilities, caregiver accommodations, etc.

Essentially, PALS modules can:

1. Save millions in state-supported payments to institutional healthcare providers for Title XIX (Medicaid) and other programs (e.g., In Connecticut alone, where the average cost of a year’s stay in a nursing home is approximately $135,000, annual payments to institutions for long-term care exceeded $1.5 Billion in 2008. Moving only 10% to a PALS unit could save this one state in excess of $100 Million!);
2. Bring thousands of people home to the safety and care of their loved ones and families;
3. Be funded, in whole or in part, through federal programs such as the DHHS “Money Follows the Person” (MFP) demonstration currently in progress and through other state and federal programs yet to be developed;
4. Create new jobs resulting from an expanded demand for homecare services as well as for services involving building, transporting, installing and maintaining the modules; and
5. Reduce the demand for 24-hour institutional care replacing it with less-expensive intermittent home-delivered healthcare related services.

Cost Comparison

The relatively low cost of these units, amounting to a fraction of the cost of institutional care, even when you include home-delivered caregiver and equipment costs, will make PALS modules a very attractive option for many thousands of users, to scores of third-party healthcare payers and governmental programs, and to organizations supporting people with disabilities (e.g. DAV, National MS Society, MDA, ALS Association, etc.). Additionally, the raw cost of a PALS module is significantly lower than the cost of conventional building modification. For example, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the granting of awards under its Assisted Living Conversion Program in four states to modify existing housing units to accommodate residents needing assisted living amenities. Conversion costs per unit in those awarded projects ranged from $102,000 to $362,000. Basic PALS units, including shipping and installation with exterior siding to match the host home, would cost the homeowner or supportive program less than $60,000 each!

Article by:
John P. Ruocco, Director
Resource Development and Government Liaison
The Rockfall Company, LLC

What are your thoughts about modular mother in law suite additions? Leave a comment below!