ADUs for in-home care
A care-ready ADU lets you care for someone who needs help now — with mobility, daily living or a caregiver — in a private home a few steps from yours, often for far less than a facility. It works when the care needed can be delivered safely at home. It is not a substitute for 24/7 skilled nursing.
ADU built for in-home careSix things we’ve learned building them
Be honest about the limits
Round-the-clock skilled nursing or advanced dementia with wandering may need a facility. Ask your loved one’s physician or a geriatric care manager before you build.
Closeness is part of the care
A National Academies report links social isolation in older adults to about a 50% higher risk of dementia. A home a few steps away makes daily contact ordinary.
Talk to the care provider first
The people giving care know how they do transfers, what equipment they’ll bring and where they need to stand. Ask before plans are drawn, while changes are free.
Design the path between the homes
Family and caregivers cross it many times a day. Make it seamless, lit and direct, and visits become casual and constant.
Room to assist, not just to live
A bed reachable from both sides, transfer space in the bathroom, dedicated circuits for equipment, and blocking for grab bars along the main routes.
Design for the caregiver too
A discreet route in and out, supply storage, in-unit laundry and a place to rest. A home that looks after the caregiver is one the person can stay in longer.
Run your numbers
From our buildsCase studies
Not ready to buy? Start here.
A printable planning workbook that walks you through the conversation a seasoned builder has with every client. Join the list and we’ll send it the day it’s ready.