Unique Housing Option for Seniors

As your parents age, your options begin to shrink.assistance on a daily basis. When living in an ECHO
You want to allow them to age in place, but that'sunit, seniors are close to the people who love them
not always a possibility, especially if they are ill andthe most and who are most able to take care of
fragile. Senior living facilities seem cold and lifeless tothem: their families. Since they don't live in someone
you, and your parents don't need that level of care,else's house, they are able to maintain a high level of
just someone to check on them every day.independence with this senior living choice. Besides
There's a new senior living option available, if you livethis, an ECHO unit is relatively cheap, in some cases
in your own home and have a fairly large yard. It's anless than $30K for a fully installed cottage with all
ECHO unit. ECHO stands for Elder Cottage Housingnecessary mobility accessories.
Opportunities, and it's a truly radical concept: a smallHowever, there are a few negatives for this type of
prefabricated cottage that you can move into yoursenior housing. Some seniors prefer not to live so
yard or a nearby lot, allowing your parent or parentsclose to their families, fearing that closeness will
to live in a temporary home nearby instead of seniorbreed stress instead of love. Others prefer senior
housing. They maintain their privacy and as much ofliving options that bring them close to other seniors,
their independence as possible, and you have themaking a retirement community a better option.
peace of mind of knowing they are well cared for.Possibly the most important negative, however, is
A significant bonus for this type of senior housing isthe problem with zoning restrictions. If you live in the
that your children and your parents will be able tocountry, zoning is unlikely to be a problem, but often
spend much more time together; your parents mayeven temporary buildings like an ECHO are ruled out
even be able to provide some childcare services,by zoning laws. You may also be able to get
freeing you to do a little more than you otherwiseassistance from your local HUD office with fighting
would be able to do. In a way, it's the ideal seniorthe zoning and even getting a loan for an ECHO.
living, close to family, close to care, yet stillOne thing caregivers and seniors can do is take their
maintaining an independent identity.objections to problematic zoning laws to the local
What ECHOs Look Likezoning board. Because ECHOs are so new, it's
An ECHO looks like a miniature house, not like thepossible the zoning laws have not taken into
mobile homes they are based on. They are typicallyconsideration these new forms of senior living, and
from 500-1000 square feet in size, and laid out as amany communities have been compassionate enough
studio or one bedroom home. ECHOs require plumbingto remove their restrictions for ECHO-style housing in
and electricity hookups, but otherwise they arecases where the resident is over the age of 55. In
self-contained little homes. Most ECHOs are equippedsome other cases, modifying the appearance of the
with stairs, and need to have ramps installed toECHO may make the local community more amenable
accommodate the senior living lifestyle.to this senior housing option.
On the outside, an ECHO is rather plain. It's a simpleThe Future of ECHO Units
miniature ranch-style house with one peak to theECHOs are very new options for senior living, so the
roof and aluminum siding walls. It is not a beautifulfuture right now is uncertain. However, it's certain
house, but it is a functional one that does not lookthat they are here to stay, and that they will provide
bad. Because one of the main arguments againsta viable option for senior housing.
ECHO senior housing is that they do not blend wellBut there's more to it than just the desires of the
with the neighborhood, there is a movement toseniors. An ECHO unit provides a viable,
create custom ECHO units that blend perfectly withcost-effective, and caring senior living option for older
their surroundings, and that may lead to somepeople who are in ill health besides remaining in the
charming doll-house style developments in the area ofhospital or being warehoused in a nursing home. Thus
senior housing.far, not much work has been done on this in the
For now, though, there is some serious resistance toUnited States, but in Britain where the medical crunch
senior housing ECHOs from neighborhood groups.is reaching crisis proportions, ECHOs have been
Because they are a prefabricated home, ECHO unitstouted as a senior housing option through which
often get lumped into the category of trailers, ratherhospitals can release patients early, saving hundreds
than being treated as senior housing. Some zoningof dollars daily in medical costs as well as freeing up
codes do allow these units to be set up for peoplebeds for more acutely ill patients and often ensuring
who are 55 years old or older, but those who desirea more beneficial medical outcome for the patient as
an ECHO unit for senior living will have to researchwell.
their own locality's ordinances to be certain.Further exploration of ECHOs as senior living options
Positive and Negative Points for ECHO Unitswill doubtless help bring to light new and better ways
ECHO units are among the best possible choices forto use them. For now, caring families can be assured
senior housing for those older people who are stillthat an ECHO is a fantastic senior housing option for
semi-independent and don't need intensive medicaltheir beloved elders.