Among the other versions are ASAPs, or Architectural Solutions for Aging Populations, developed by an architectural firm in San Francisco. The MEDCottage, the original granny pod, may have received the most publicity, but as the auxiliary care unit idea has caught on, others have entered the field. Something more is needed and these self-contained medical units could meet that need. Since Genworth, a firm specializing in long-term care and life insurance, predicts that at least 70 percent of the nation’s elderly will require long-term care at some time in their lives, the nation’s current 15,700 long-term care facilities may not be sufficient to meet the need. More practically, these modular medical care units may be essential to providing care for the soaring numbers of seniors, a number the Census Bureau predicts will more than double from 35 million in 2000 to more than 70 million by 2030. Granny pods and other auxiliary dwelling units, or ADUs, offer a blend of independence and 24/7 caregiving, plus closeness to family and friends instead of isolation in a distant nursing home. Though the initial cost may seem steep, proponents point out that nursing home care is also expensive, costing upwards of $50,000 a year for a semi-private room, depending on location, and the company will buy back the units when no longer needed. Inside, it resembles a hotel suite, with living space, small kitchen and bathroom. Though several versions now exist, the basic MEDCottage is about 12 by 24 feet, or the size of a master bedroom, has vinyl siding, double French doors (to accommodate a wheelchair and hospital equipment) and looks like a small bungalow. He founded a company, N2Care, and, working with Virginia Tech Research Center in Blacksburg, VA, designed the MEDCottage, now known as the granny pod. Dupin decided America should do better for its aging population. (According to the Washington Post, credit for that goes to a Fairfax County supervisor who equated the pods to storage containers.)Īs the story goes, after visiting a depressed parishioner whose family had moved her to a nursing home, Rev. The Reverend Kenneth Dupin, a Methodist minister from Salem, VA, gets credit for the Granny Pod concept, though that’s not what he called the units. Cameras at floor level and sensors alert caregivers to a fall, the toilet seat records weight and temperature, a hammock-like chair lift transports a resident from bed-to-bathroom, and a computer reminds residents when it is time to take medications. The high tech units are also equipped with interactive video and devices that monitor vital signs, like blood pressure and blood glucose, and transmit real time readings to caregivers and physicians.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |