Our parents live longer and faster than we realize. We love our parents no matter what their eyesight or hearing is like.
We see these inevitable changes happen to them and wish that we could delay the passing of time – even just a little – so that we can be with them much longer. But we simply can’t.
Schon Miller understands this feeling well, as his parents are in their golden years. Bonnie and George Miller both age 87 have lived a long, productive life.
The elderly couple used to live independently, but certain unavoidable circumstances that come with their age indicated that they couldn’t keep on living that way much longer.
Schon’s parents were growing frailer each passing day. His father was getting forgetful and his mother was hurting her shoulder when she fell. Schon began to look for homes with a completed mother-in law suite after that incident.
These suites are private living spaces for parents or in-laws that are usually attached to or located on the same lot as the grown child’s house, so that aging family members can remain close to their loved ones.
However, Schon couldn’t find an in-law suite suitable for them, so he and his wife, Jeannie, came up with a brilliant plan: build one of those custom mini homes by themselves in their current house. Their next big project was basement remodeling.
As part of their basement remodeling, the couple blew a hole in the basement of their house and got rid of their recreational items – pool table, instruments, and even their karaoke area – so that they would have space for his parents to move in.
“We had been talking about it with mum for a while because we knew they were leaning on each other with one good body and one good mind. One can’t live alone without the other and we didn’t want either one to end up in a nursing home.”, Schon said.
The couple then took George and Bonnie on a tour of their custom mini-home in Bremen, Ohio, on March 13.
Schon wheeled Bonnie in, and Bonnie was the first one to see the inside. His mother exclaimed, “Oh my god!” As soon as she saw the home, she was shocked to see it. “pretty” interiors. She couldn’t help but break into tears, clearly touched by Schon and Jeannie’s wonderful initiative.
On the other hand, George couldn’t agree more with his wife, as he kept saying “Yes, indeed.”Bonnie gushed about the beautiful custom mini home.
They even added customization in the home to ensure the safety of the elderly couple, such as bars on either side of the toilet so they have something to hold on to, the installation of bars and a seat in the shower plus a rubber mat on the floor so they don’t slip.
This is not just one of your regular basement remodeling, it wasn’t just beautiful to look at, its design was clearly well-thought of, which made this initiative by Schon and Jeannie all the more admirable.
Watch the emotion as the senior couple takes a tour of their new home.
From one couple to another, Schon and Jeannie blessed Bonnie and George with the best gift ever – a beautiful and comfortable home to live in during their golden years.