Pop-up facility for the elderly

As the baby boomer generation starts to enter its senior years, a strain on long-term care facilities seems inevitable.

Aiming to offer an alternative mode of senior care, Virginia-based N2Care has come up with the MedCottage, a pop-up, medically-equipped suite that families can use on their property to care for seniors at home.

The MedCottage connects to a home’s electrical and water supplies and is filled with technology and amenities for the health, comfort and safety of the elderly or those recovering from illness or injury.

The unit’s bedroom, bathroom and kitchen offers creature comforts while also incorporating the latest technology to monitor vital signs, filter the air and maintain lines of communication.

Ankle-level sensors alert caregivers to an occupant’s fall, and a computer can remind the occupant to take medications. A movable lift is built in as is extra accommodation for a caregiver.

Why not develop this concept here in Australia? A facility like MedCottage could be hired by families or purchased by nursing homes, providing people with another viable option when they require care in their old age.