“To be honest, I never in a million years even pondered a situation where Mom and I would wind up sharing the same address,” Rachel said. “But then with this pandemic – you see the news stories where parents and children have been separated for months, due to all the precautions – it’s heartbreaking and frankly, for me, a little frightening. But my Mother is getting older, and you have to be realistic.” She laughed, a little, and said, “and now here I am, looking at house plans with in-law suite.”
Kaiser Health News reported in September that many seniors are now hesitant to move forward with their previous plans to transition into their senior living situation, whether that was an assisted living center or nursing home. “The fear is very real,” Marlene, Rachel’s mother said. “But at the same time, you say is living with my children going to work out? I am a person who needs my own space, who needs a certain degree of peace and quiet.”
The beauty of the in-law suite is it allows for multi-generational living without everyone needing to be together all of the time. Many house plans with in-law suites are designed specifically to provide everyone with a reasonable degree of privacy while allowing for easy caregiving. For example, the in-law suite may have its own entrance as well as a senior-friendly bathroom that is both stylish and safe.
Of course, the in-law suite doesn’t have to house your in-laws. This pandemic has impacted the economy for everyone, and the in-law suite can be the best housing solution for adult children, who may have children of their own. In-law suites have also served as quarantine housing for health care professionals and others with similar concerns. It’s a very versatile concept that can be customized to meet your family’s needs.
