By Debbi Miller Gutierrez

As the US population ages, increasing numbers of American adults are caring for their children and their parents at the same time. Either now or in the future, you may face the prospect of placing your cherished elder in an assisted living facility or nursing home, perhaps far from where you live. This can be a heartbreaking (and expensive) course of action for both you and your parent. Building an addition to your home, either as an extra room within the house or as a stand-alone cottage in the back garden, might be your best option.
Below are five reasons for you to build an addition to your home for the senior in your life.

Having your parent down the hall or around back will let you keep a close eye on them and be in complete control of their care. You will never have to worry about how well the nursing home or assisted living facility is providing the services he or she needs. If you can’t be available all the time due to family or work duties, you can hire someone qualified to carry out those duties in accord with your specific wishes.

Not every aging parent is an invalid needing special medical care. Many just want to let go of the home that has become too much to handle, but don’t want to live in an apartment surrounded by strangers. Building your senior her own room or annex is a good way to help her feel secure and included while still remaining as independent as possible.

One of the most distressing things for someone entering a nursing home is the unfamiliar surroundings. Leaving their loved ones, friends, or beloved pet behind, many seniors soon drift into depression. By creating a space for her and surrounding her with all her familiar possessions and family members, your senior can make the transition with minimal stress. If you invite the pet along, your parent will enjoy the added health benefits—lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, enhanced mental processes, an increased zest for life—that animal companions provide.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, long term care costs do also. In the US today, the average cost of a nursing home shared room is almost $70,000 a year. As you can see,building an additional suite or unattached dwelling (or remodeling your existing property to include your senior) generally costs less than one year’s residence in a long term care facility.

Building an addition to your home adds value to your property. Not only will it increase your property’s value, but at some point in the future, this addition may be available for use by your college-age children, visiting guests, or as a studio or workshop for you.
Building an addition to your home—a granny flat, in-law suite, guest house, carriage house, or studio apartment—is an economical and compassionate way to assist in your aging parent’s later life situation.