What Are Guest Accommodations

Of course, some accommodations for older people do not preclude them from living near their families. In fact, they may even live on the same piece of property. Quite often, elderly individuals will reside in units that are their own separate dwelling spaces, but are usually contained on the same lot or even are attached to the building in some way.

As is wont to happen with long-term elderly care (note the aforementioned discussion of home health aides and their various synonyms), there are numerous names for these structures. Some may refer to a particular unit as an in-law apartment, secondary suite or even a granny flat (primarily in other English-speaking countries). However, for our purposes here, we will refer to a qualifying residence as either a guest apartment or guest house. Some notes about the use of these spaces:

Though it likely goes without saying, a guest apartment or guest house lies ancillary to the main home. Such accommodations are usually capable of being self-sufficient apart from the primary residence, including standard amenities like a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom/converted sleeping space.

Thus, they are not meant for a whole family, but rather an individual such as a senior citizen living on his or her lonesome, and with little need for anything beyond these simple features. Certainly, though, a guest apartment or guest house may still be furnished with specially designed facilities, floors and furniture designed to prevent falls or serious injury.

As to where these types of dwellings tend to stand in relation to the main structure, as noted, they may be either part of the same building or nearby. Concerning a guest apartment, although they may be dictated by the preexisting conditions of the house, there are definitely options to be played around with.

For one, depending on what is feasible, a guest apartment may either lie above the first floor of a one-family home, below it, as in a converted basement, or connected even to a detached garage. As for a guest house, sometimes termed a garden suite, it may be a separate unit on the premises, which may be more characteristic of a larger estate. Plus, when a family member ceases to use it, it may be rented out to non-relative guests, making it a "guest house" in the truest sense of the word(s).

Imaginably, the creation of a guest apartment or guest house in the absence of one requires the means to make this decision a reality. First and foremost, the family opting for this course of action will likely need to front most or all of the cost themselves, or will be paying out of pocket in installments.

Beyond this, though, before constructing such a unit, interested parties must receive clearance from the proper authorities lest they erect something illegally on their space. Accordingly, they should consult the municipal body with jurisdiction over these matters for assistance and clarifying information a midst the planning process.

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