A dog house for grandma?

Can we finally dispense with the notion that a viable option for the care of our elders is to build garden sheds for them in our backyards? You’ve seen the ads and Facebook posts whose headlines scream: “These backyard Grannie Pods could be the solution to nursing homes!” Usually about 12 x 24, or the size of your family room, these sheds are built with safety and handicap accessibility in mind and often come with technology that can detect falls, lack of movement, provide med reminders and even summon help in an emergency.

What they don’t have is a community of similarly aged elders around with whom to socialize. Increasingly studies are proving the danger of social isolation. Loneliness has been found to be deadlier than obesity and should be considered a public health risk according to researchers who examined over 200 studies on the effects of isolation.

Oh, and if you are thinking that one of these “grannies pods” is a great alternative to the nursing home, they are missing one more crucial element – NURSES!

I’m guessing that you didn’t raise your children in a backyard nursery. Why build a dog house for grandma? Our elders deserve better.