Multi-generational Households: The Ins and Outs of In-law Suites

When I was a teenager, my parents had a new home specifically built with separate quarters so my grandmother could live with us and still maintain her privacy. For us, it was simply a decision that would allow Grandma to move in – nothing newsworthy at the time.

Nowadays, with our tendency to label trends, sociologists would call my family’s arrangement “multi-generational living,” and Grandma’s special living area would be considered a “mother-in-law suite” or “mother-in-law apartment.” Research conducted by Generations United found that 26 percent of Americans lived in a household with three or more generations in 2021.

A growing number of families are embracing this trend, especially as an alternative to independent or assisted living facilities for their aging relatives. In this era of supersizing, some intergenerational living arrangements even involve smaller detached homes on the same property as the family abode. There are both advantages and disadvantages of multi-generational households for seniors and adult children alike, so this is not an arrangement that should be entered into lightly. It’s crucial…

Continue reading on Agingcare for more about multi-generational living – the pros and the cons:

Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores

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