Everyone has concerns about what to do with aging family members and Rev. Kenneth Dupin, of Salem, Virginia, has invented a solution. The controversial new dwelling is called a Medcottage, a nursing home-like mobile facility that families can place in their backyard as a place to care for the elderly. The 284-square-foot units are able to connect to a home’s electricity and water supplies and can can be placed on your property wherever there is space. Other features include hazardous waste disposal, pathogen detection systems and devices that check your loved one’s vital signs with the potential for other monitoring systems including a webcam. In today’s economy, when the median rate for a private room in a nursing home is $206 per day ($6,180 per month), the MEDCottage is estimated to be available for $1,500 to $2,000 per month, saving residents that don’t need 24-hour care approximately $50,000-70,000 per year.
In a major victory Dupin and his team persuaded the Virginia General Assembly to pass legislation changing local zoning laws (HB-1307: Temporary Family Health Structures) to permit families to install buildings such as the Medcottage on their property with a doctor’s order. The structures must be less than 300 square feet and conform to local regulations governing sheds or garages, and have to be removed within 30 days after the occupant no longer resides there.
Critics argue that MEDCottages violate zoning ordinances and reduce property values and structures like these may run into staunch resistance from suburban neighbors who object to unsightly mini-apartments being erected in their communities. But Dupin has the legislature and the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination against necessary provisions for disabled individuals, on his side.
