New Trend in Care for Elderly: 'Granny Pods'

Granny Pods? Yes, Granny Pods. As NPR and the Roanoke Times explain, these are essentially miniature mobile homes custom-designed for the elderly and small enough to fit in a caregiver's yard. The idea is that aging relatives could live inside, close to the family, instead of going to a nursing home. Officials in Virginia have taken the idea seriously enough to tweak zoning rules to accommodate the pods (formal name MEDCottage), which should be on the market next year. (Figure about $70,000 or a $2,000-per-month rental.)

"Really—this is one of those studies that we really can never publicly say—but we don't want them in our house," the company founder says of aging parents. "Nor do they want to be in our house." (More Granny Pod stories.)