Caregiving in the 21st Century

Putting aging parents in a nursing home can be a very difficult decision for family, but now you may have another option! The Med-Cottage, sometimes called the "Granny-Pod" is a mobile 'pod' that you put near your home where your older loved ones can live temporarily. Check out what AARP Board Member Jeannine English had to say about it on CBS Evening news...
The Med-Cottage according to the website, "Is a modular construction that may be placed on the caregiving family's property with little site preparation. It maintains an umbilical relationship to the primary dwelling through water and electrical hook-ups. This is no ordinary grandmother's cottage; it is outfitted with the latest technical advances in the industry, including dynamic smart robotic features. It offers remote monitoring capabilities via Internet for the caregiver through their PC in real time."
There are all sorts of neat gadgets installed in the pod, for instance:
- The refrigerator can be monitored when the doors are opened
- The house can be monitored for temperature changes and for oxygen levels
- The inhabitant can also do just about anything in their 'pod' from check blood pressure to have their medicines dispensed for them
What is the most interesting bit about this new living arrangement?? Get this: all the updates from the this backyard nursing home can get sent directly to the caregiver's blackberry or computer so family members can have up to date notifications on their loved one! Caregiving has definitely stepped into the 21st century. What do you think of the pod?