I'm Building a Tiny Home in My Yard to Care for My Mom With Alzheimer's

Key Points:

• Lena Koropey, whose mother has Alzheimer's, purchased a home in Mattituck, Long Island, to provide a safe and comfortable environment for her mother, reflecting their Ukrainian American family tradition of caregiving.
• The 1,300-square-foot ranch-style home has three bedrooms for Koropey, her mother, and her mother's live-in caregiver, with a fenced yard and ample outdoor space to support her mother's active lifestyle.
• Koropey plans to build a 750-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on the property to live in, allowing her mother to remain in the main house with her caregiver while maintaining close family support.
• The ADU construction involves navigating zoning, permits, and accessibility requirements, with an estimated cost of $450,000; Koropey prioritizes ADA compliance to accommodate future caregiving needs.
• Acknowledging the challenges of caregiving, Koropey emphasizes the importance of flexibility and family proximity, noting that while there is no perfect solution, her approach allows her to adapt as her mother's condition progresses.