Most older people would much rather be close to family than in a long term care facility. That's why Salem Pastor Ken Dupin came up with an alternative to traditional nursing home care, that keeps a family member right on the family property in the backyard.
Dupin is the founder and CEO of N2 Care, the company that came up with the med cottage. He got the idea after he and his wife traveled overseas several years ago. "Aging people were looked upon almost as a resource as a treasure as they were brought back into the family," Dupin said.
Med Cottage is a portable assisted living home that ges in the backyard and keeps the family member close to the family. "It's not only the caregiver. It's the kids it's the grand kids the neighbors," Dupin said. "And all of that becomes an intricate part and changes the dynamic of this thing we dread to something we can honestly look forward to."
The 288 square foot med cottage is equipped with many high tech features including motion sensors that can tell if a patient has not gotten out of bed and cameras that video only the person's feet to detect if a person has fallen without compromising that person's privacy.
The med cottage also has a lift to help a person move, floor lighting that helps a patient see, and a smart pill dispenser that reminds a patient when he or she must take medicine. All sorts of patient information is sent electronically to the family caregiver allowing the family to be involved in a family member's care.
Salem Delegate Morgan Griffith was on hand for the ribbon cutting for the med cottage prototype that was unveiled at the Roanoke Civic Center Monday morning. With an aging populaton Griffith said "we're going to have a glut of people who need assistance." With that in mind, Virginia's General Assembly passed legislation that will allow the med cottage on private property. "I'm proud it's the first statewide zoning policy of this type in this country." Griffith said.
Med cottage is not just for the aging. Janis Terpenny is an engineer with N2 Care and has worked on med college said it's something that could have helped her family in the past. Terpenny's 9-year old son died from leukemia in 1994. She says med cottages's capability to be a sterile place could have saved her son months in the hospital. "Just as I was sleeping in a chair that folded out in a hospital room. I could just as easily been with my son in my own backyard and have my other son and my husband in and out," Terpenny said.
Med Cottage costs about about $1,500 to $2,000 a month to lease or $75,000 to buy. That's much less than a nursing home, according to Dupin. While he admits the company N2 Care has a long way and $2 to $3 millino to raise to continue launching med cottage, he does hope to have one to a consumer by next year.
Dupin is the founder and CEO of N2 Care, the company that came up with the med cottage. He got the idea after he and his wife traveled overseas several years ago. "Aging people were looked upon almost as a resource as a treasure as they were brought back into the family," Dupin said.
Med Cottage is a portable assisted living home that ges in the backyard and keeps the family member close to the family. "It's not only the caregiver. It's the kids it's the grand kids the neighbors," Dupin said. "And all of that becomes an intricate part and changes the dynamic of this thing we dread to something we can honestly look forward to."
The 288 square foot med cottage is equipped with many high tech features including motion sensors that can tell if a patient has not gotten out of bed and cameras that video only the person's feet to detect if a person has fallen without compromising that person's privacy.
The med cottage also has a lift to help a person move, floor lighting that helps a patient see, and a smart pill dispenser that reminds a patient when he or she must take medicine. All sorts of patient information is sent electronically to the family caregiver allowing the family to be involved in a family member's care.
Salem Delegate Morgan Griffith was on hand for the ribbon cutting for the med cottage prototype that was unveiled at the Roanoke Civic Center Monday morning. With an aging populaton Griffith said "we're going to have a glut of people who need assistance." With that in mind, Virginia's General Assembly passed legislation that will allow the med cottage on private property. "I'm proud it's the first statewide zoning policy of this type in this country." Griffith said.
Med cottage is not just for the aging. Janis Terpenny is an engineer with N2 Care and has worked on med college said it's something that could have helped her family in the past. Terpenny's 9-year old son died from leukemia in 1994. She says med cottages's capability to be a sterile place could have saved her son months in the hospital. "Just as I was sleeping in a chair that folded out in a hospital room. I could just as easily been with my son in my own backyard and have my other son and my husband in and out," Terpenny said.
Med Cottage costs about about $1,500 to $2,000 a month to lease or $75,000 to buy. That's much less than a nursing home, according to Dupin. While he admits the company N2 Care has a long way and $2 to $3 millino to raise to continue launching med cottage, he does hope to have one to a consumer by next year.
