TG Escapes Blog

Is a Granny Annexe the answer for The Sandwich Generation?

by TG Escapes | Sep 11, 2014 | Blog, Residential

In our modern, busy lives, how we can ensure that we get the very best out of our relationship with aging family members? For, as the wise old bird Eleanor Roosevelt once commented: “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”

As lifespans rise and people increasingly choose to bear children later in life, a new demographic phenomena has emerged. Baby boomers have become the “sandwich generation”, caring for both children and aging parents. For many, the dual burden can be overwhelming emotionally, logistically and financially. And the greater the distance between our homes and those of our elderly parents, the greater the strain.

Cross-generational living arrangements do not necessarily mean sharing bathrooms and remote controls, and all the day-to-day strife associated with living under the same roof. From a purely practical point of view, a Granny (and/or Grandpa) Annexe is a gentle yet smart way to manage the transition of the caring role-reversal as parents age. Emotionally speaking, it is a chance to enhance the understanding and bonds between generations.

Any annex offers a generous degree of separation, privacy and independence for all parties, whilst retaining a strong link to the heart of the main house. A Garden Escape annexe ensures both a perfect fit in your chosen location and an interior design that fulfils all the criteria you and your parents may have, right down to the installation of access ramps and grab rails.

We will handle all aspects of the build, including planning permission, and our modular construction approach will result in considerably less mess, noise and disruption than a traditional build. Our use of the very latest in ecologically sound materials and methods create a building that is both beautiful and extremely energy efficient to run. So, for instance, if most of the family are out at work and school during the day, your oldies can crank up the heating without it costing the earth!

Taking care of your family, including your elderly parents, should be thought of as a marathon, not a sprint. It is a journey that can be embarked upon together, before faculties and energy levels become too compromised, while you still have the time to reflect upon the rather lovely Welsh proverb: “Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild.”

About the author

TG Escapes
Providing net-zero timber frame buildings since 2003. As a gold member of the Structural Timber Association we are fully compliant to design, manufacture and build giving us full control of the quality of all the timber components in our system.

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