Cohen and Oalican discuss an alternative to nursing home care. Is this something that you should have in your long term care plan?

1. MEDCottage Boston Elder Law Attorneys Specializing in Medicaid Planning Cohen & Oalican, LLC 617-263-1035- Boston 508-821-5599 – Raynham 978-749-0008 - Andover

2. MEDCottage One of the things that the elderly hate the most and find really upsetting is to be moved from their familiar surroundings to a hospital or nursing home. The clinical, coldblooded ambience of a medical treatment center possibly makes the older lot a bit nervous and also tentative about their future.

3. MEDCottage Priests attending to older people have commented on this feeling and also opined that it appears that closeness to family members and access to their loved ones are most important issues. There was one lady in particular about whom Rev. Kenneth Dupin had talked about when discussing this aspect of caring for senior citizens.

4. MEDCottage Katie was a happy old lady living in her own home, filled with mementos and artifacts from her past and she loved to talk of the days gone by. Rev. Dupin enjoyed listening to her anecdotes when he visited her, but the entire scenario changed when Katie was shifted to a nursing home some time afterwards.

5. MEDCottage Katie’s entire demeanor and happy attitude had just disappeared, which was noticed by Rev. Dupin when he went to see her at the nursing home. She begged and pleaded to be taken back home with tears running down her cheeks. She did not get the chance to go back to her beloved home, as she passed away in the nursing home, but the entire episode had a profound effect on Rev. Dupin.

6. MEDCottage He was extremely moved by Katie’s attachment to her home and her deep melancholy at being moved to a nursing home, away from her loved ones.

7. MEDCottage In a talk with Audie Cornish of the National Public Radio (NPR) he said that Katie and her emotional outpourings had left him thinking about the entire subject of elderly people and their happiness in their last days. He was seriously wondering whether there was some way whereby older people could be kept closer to their families and out of places like hospitals and nursing homes.

8. MEDCottage His concern is now being addressed as a new concept called “granny pods” that is gradually becoming an alternative for the housing of the elderly.

9. MEDCottage The actual name for the “granny pod” is MEDCottage and it is a type of mobile residential unit that can be rented on a monthly basis. It can be parked in your backyard, you can connect your water and electricity to the unit and it transforms into an independent room for your elderly relatives.

10. MEDCottage This innovative concept is becoming quite popular all over the country, especially in the state of Virginia where the zoning restrictions have been relaxed for these hi-tech homes by the government, which are expected to be available next year.

11. MEDCottage The MEDCottage has vinyl siding on the exterior and French doors with a white trim around them, while the interiors are fully equipped with a comfortable suite of rooms, with a kitchen and toilet. In short, the MRDCottage is a complete home in itself with all amenities needed to live a safe, comfortable life and ideal for the elderly.

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13. MEDCottage What makes the MEDCottage even more suitable for the elderly is that inside the unit there is state-of-the-art health monitoring equipment and a lift to take an incapacitated person from the bedroom to the bathroom. There is also a camera installed just a foot above the floor that is adequate to view the person’s feet, so if he/she fell down it would immediately be seen.

14. MEDCottage It has been estimated that falls in the home are one of the primary reasons elderly people have to be taken to hospitals and nursing homes, so having this “Feet Sweep” camera would be a big help in the timely assistance in case of such accidents. In addition to these useful conveniences, the MEDCottage has lighting along the floors that would help the elderly in easy movement around the unit.

15. MEDCottage There are monitoring systems that offer regular updates on the medical status of the occupant, like heart rate and temperature and also provide information about medicine intake and other details.

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17. MEDCottage The thought of relegating your older relative in a separate unit in the backyard may not sit easy with most people, but Rev. Dupin says that it is in line with the independent nature of most Americans. The space of the MEDCottage with the family and yet apart is symbolic of American self-reliance and independence.

18. MEDCottage It is not that we can declare loudly that we do not want our older family members in our home, but neither would they wish to live with us. The MEDCottage is an acceptable alternative where the elderly are near their family but are not stepping on anyone’s feet in the process.

19. MEDCottage It is a wonderful way for the older generation to remain part of the family, enjoy the company of their grandchildren and feel safe and content, without being any sort of a burden on others.

20. MEDCottage Rev. Dupin does not think that his parents would be living in a “granny pod” but certainly visualizes a future where he might be living in the backyard of one of his children.

21. If you have any further questions please contact, Cohen & Oalican LLP, elderlaw attorneys in Boston, Andover and Raynham Boston Elder Law Attorneys Specializing in Medicaid Planning Cohen & Oalican, LLC 617-263-1035- Boston 508-821-5599 – Raynham 978-749-0008 - Andover