Son Transforms His Basement Into a New Home for His Aging Parents

One of things that’s hard about being adults is that we not only see ourselves getting older, but we see our parents getting older. One of the hardest things is when our parents start to need assistance in their daily lives. Then the decision comes as to whether or not to put mom and dad in a nursing home, have them move in with us, or perhaps hire a caregiver or nurse to check in on them at their current home.

There’s no one right answer for every person or situation, but one couple, Schon and his wife Jeannie, came up a creative solution. Instead of putting Schon’s parents in a nursing home or hiring a caregiver, they decided to make a few modifications to their home so that his parents could move in with them.

They didn’t just put a recliner in a guest bedroom and call it a day. They truly went above and beyond to make their older generation extra comfortable.

Have you heard of a “granny pad”? It’s basically a really cool way for your parents to live with you without exactly living with you. It’s when you take a part of your house and convert it to an apartment of sorts where your parents can live. It can even be a separate building on your property, like a tiny house, or a converted shed or a pool house.

Schon and Jeannie decided to convert their basement to a granny pad for Schon’s parents. They made it a cozy place for his parents to call home. They even added bars in the bathroom to make it easier for them to use the shower and the toilet. They really thought of everything.

Schon’s parents weren’t involved in designing the granny pad. They didn’t know what it looked like. It was a complete surprise. That’s why Schon and Jeannie had the video camera going when his parents arrived to see their new home for the first time.

We don’t know what they were expecting. When we think of living in someone’s basement, it doesn’t exactly sound appealing. Maybe they were a little skeptical of this new living arrangement, but we’re sure that after taking a tour of their new digs, they felt at ease and even excited.

When the video starts, Schon’s parents are just arriving. His mom is in a wheelchair, and his dad follows behind. His mom almost immediately cries tears of joy, and his dad seems really impressed as Schon gives them the grand tour.

Watch the video below to see their priceless reactions, and to see the amazing granny pad Schon and Jeannie created.