A Salem-based company called N2Care has introduced the “MEDCottage,” designed for those seniors that have no intention of ever going into a nursing home. N2Care founder Kenneth Dupin said he was “throwing down a bedpan gauntlet at the steps of the White House and Congress,” declaring that 78 million baby boomers might prefer the MEDCottage concept, a small (288 sq. ft.) prefab building designed to be set up on a caregiver’s property.
Providing a place to stay that includes state-of-the-art technology and would keep seniors closer to loved ones, offers peace of mind to caregivers that otherwise might have to worry about ailing and aging family members being too far away. The MEDCottage, unveiled at a news conference recently, includes a communication center, robotic technology and environmental controls at “a fraction of the cost of a hospital or nursing home,” according to information from N2Care.
Dupin helped MEDCottage, which is available in several designs, make its debut by mailing 100 bedpans all over the country – to cabinet members, Senators, delegates – even to President Barack Obama – with a sticker affixed that declared, “We’re not going to nursing homes – ever!”
Dupin said the monthly cost of a leased MEDCottage should be in the area of $2000-2500 per month. “About a half to a third of the cost . . . of a nursing home,” said Dupin, who added that with some installation adjustments MEDCottages could service about half of the available market. Those adjustments might include adding a connecting breezeway to the caregiver’s home.
On the company website Dupin explains his desire for taking care of the aged in a more dignified manner as coming from what he saw in cultures in Europe, Japan and Central America, while pursing a doctorate in management. That led him to produce a Remote Care Pod and ultimately MEDCottage.
His creation can analyze urine samples, check blood pressure, monitor weight and, “all of these things in one function of your life.” Dupin put together his prototype without corporate sponsors or government grants. No word on whether President Obama has received his bedpan. (visit MEDcottage.com for more information)
By Gene Marrano [email protected]