the dining room and basement sound like a great plan.

Easy access, and private for the caregiver, and access to the main kitchen too.

Looks like a generous space to work with.

Is this an inlaw suite or a place for a short term caregiver. If you use the DR then how will you access the basement ? Most garages are not to code for living space and the plumbing issue can be quite a big deal. The DR is the easiest to convert so only the kitchenette and bathroom would be in the basement ?

Is the caregiver for YOU, or a spouse, a compromised child??

A "Part Time caregiver....."

How part time? Days, nights, both?

That would imply for the care giver,

A Bedroom/sitting area/tv

A minimal 5 x 8 bath - Vanity, shower, toilet

A kitchenette at best! Sink, under counter fridge, microwave.

Clarify please. As I would put that entire "suite" In the basement. That you "don't use" the dining room is irrelevant, it's limited as an access from the garage.. The caregiver is either in the task of providing said care on the main floor, or is spending the night when charge is safely tucked away to sleep?

Your question needs more context, for more relevant advice. How many in the family, who needs the care, etc: )

There are stand alone granny flat kits that can be purchased and installed on property. Most are constructed to code and shouldn't present a problem in that aspect. You might check into those. That would eliminate disrupting the existing house layout.

I would put everything for the unit in the basement if you can get egress windows for a bedroom. I would put a wall up in the dining room creating an entrance to the unit and an entrance into the main house. I would try to do very little to the dining room except a wall and door so it would be easy to turn it back to a dining room in the future if you sell.

Your garage entrance is in the dining room. How will you deal with that?

Is this another AI question?

Is it just me or does the answer seem obvious - put the suite in the basement.

Some feed back would be nice Good catch Debbi

Assuming it is the caregiver in the new space my vote is also for in the basement.

You absolutely should turn the basement into the suite for tue caregiver and not give uk the dining room. Make it have an entrance and meet code. That is the better plan all around

If that is the case then I would recommend you make the dining room a studio apartment with bathroom and call it done. Forget going into basement at all

Well we can put the bathroom in the basement and a sitting room. my original question was whether to do this in basement or go into garage? or back of garage?

Neither. That is my point. You are overthinking it.

Thank you!

You will need to add a door to the room to make it private. You will lose access from the door to the garage. You could take a bit from garage for bathroom. Or put it elsewhere in space.

Thank you everyone!

All that this early dementia situation requires for a caregiver ( they are Rotating btw ) is a bathroom, separate from the primary bath and it should be on the main living floor..

Any OTHER space can work for a comfortable chair, twin bed, and a television and the dining room is fine for that. It is unclear who may require the other bedrooms , or if if they are in use.

No need for ANY separate kitchen , whatsoever. That would be for a live in 24/7 care situation.

The problem here, will not be "quarters" for the care. The problem will be the scheduling, the rotating. The "I can't come" The who didn't show up. There are 24 hours in a day. If the "watch" is to cover all? You are talking three separate caregivers. If you want to ASK me how I know this will be problematic maximus? Private message me.

You want the care "living" on the SAME level the compromised person is living. You don't build quarters for a baby sitter, and this is essentially what you are buying - three baby sitters all consistent at fixed times, or more?. You want as much daily /daytime/ engagement as possible WITH the elderly person.

This? This is dreamworld:

"We would like caregiver to have own space and private bathroom."

That describes a live in, one person, consistently....or a live in couple/caretakers

Downtime? You aren't paying for "down time". YOU ARE PAYING for "watch and engagement". That is the purpose of the rotation of the care. It's "trick work" as a factory and its shifts.

Trust me when I tell you. You're focused on the wrong problem. Put a bathroom or powder room ANYwhere on the main living floor, and all you probably need is a powder room. As I said......you may ask me: ) about the real problem, the slippery slope of early dementia and all involved with your plan.

Otherwise? Put an addition on the house for an ADU. or advise who is now using the two bedrooms outside the primary and convert one to a better primary bath for the elderly charge. The cost of off site memory care is so exorbitant, the least of the worry is resale of a house. Long term?

I would create a mud/powder of the dining room, which is all it is anyway, and open a wall to the living room, so that dining room is your bathroom.

The problem is not one of housing. It is the problem of rotating care, unless the care is loving f.a.m.i.l.y. The ads you see on tv? lol. x 1000

So no need for a kitchen if this is just rotating help. I deally a bathroom on the main floor would also be best are all the bedrooms in the house already in use ? Where is your realative going to be ?The caregiver can for sure use the main kitchen for meal prep and a coffee since they need to be there at different times . I think the logistics need to be figured out before anything else is done But a main floor bathroom IMO is a must . . You have plumbing in the kitchen so could be done I think. A single bed maybe even a nice daybed and a TV is all that is really a must then acces to the kitchen for them to use You ask for inlaw suite I am confused as to where they will be.

I think it’s fair to ask for more context. Sometimes people can’t see beyond what they have been living with, and facing this new situation they may not know what they really need.

^^

How many times, how many hours have you spent doing this type of elder care, helping folks figure out where to put the care? Helping them relocate an elderly to a fraction of space to memory care? Have you helped a parent? I have, and for a decade. How about this? Watching a client you once 'Knew" for over three decades, suddenly remember nothing of the designer who helped her with three homes? and watched as her own loving husband tried to get rotated care. Folks with ALL the resources $$$$$ anyone could dream of.

How many times have you seen the best of these intents fail, as this is more difficult care to manage at home, than virtually any disease you can conjure up.

The context in this post is 100% necessary.

There ARE other bedrooms in the home. Occupied by children? We don't know.

The one thing I do know, is ANY poster is free to admonish me, personally, or free to ignore my post. Fee to say "myob" !!

Which you can not seem to do : )

And if you don't think finding, managing, scheduling befitting care is difficult? Think again. Family can be rotated, and even THAT has issues, as rarely will all the family participate. Willingly.

When my dad required part time which progressed to full time 24/7 care… our care team utilized one of the bedrooms (they moved out when the next shift moved in), and we all shared the main bathroom, plus the kitchen. We ate as one huge family, around the kitchen table for every meal which was so enjoyable for my dad as well as us. Perhaps adding a another bathroom in the basement would be a great addition to the home and making the dinning room into a spare bedroom would be the easiest way to accommodate the care team. I would highly recommend if at all possible updating the other Barth room to be ADA compliant, so when the time comes it is WC accessible, with a walk-in shower. Best of luck!

The ^^"design support" is not in ANY way separate from a rotating care situation.

The title of the question was:

"Where to put an in law suite"

That alone is totally different than three or however many care providers will use/share any added aspects of design to this home. That may be as minimal as an added bathroom, or as luxurious as a tricked out basement with full bath, kitchenette, bedroom, sitting area. and a necessary Bilco or other egress from that basement. What it appears NOT to be is an "in law suite", a space dedicated to a couple , or a widow/widower alone who are by definition, family. .......unless these caregivers ARE family, and not outside hires.

Any and every design must meet a need, a function, and I have successfully been meeting those individual needs for over three decades - mobile, not mobile, thirty years young, ninety years old, and in just about all the years in between. Maybe you could just get off my back: )

The new space is for the care provider. Not the person needing care. Yes they could make a proper ADU or they could simplify. Yes more info on who is using the new space and how often is context needed. Again that is entirely separate from criticizing the OPs ability to find appropriate care providers. The design support is 100% not related to judgement about if they will have quality care providers.

Amen, Jan.

I adore Houzz. I get to be wrong about something, nearly every day.

I'm not "wrong" about this topic, I've lived it. I've watched others live it via friendships of decades, knowing all their family and long time friends. (The decorator who morphed to " just part of the family! ")

My own mom, in a thankfully gentle loss of mind, went from having good friends, running the family checkbook, entertaining, cooking, shopping, exercise classes....to: The very sweet lady whom we called "mom" and lived with dad. Sitting for hours, drumming her fingers on the kitchen table, staring at the neighbors home. Meals eschewed for chocolate covered graham crackers!

When dad became ill, requiring lengthy hospitalization/ rehab in a horrific winter of in/out/in/out in/, dialysis and more, Mom at that point, was unsafe alone in their home. It happened overnight, literally, in a sub zero blizzard- three daughters all working, and a sudden OMG, what about MOM?! when the ambulance arrived for dad. Thus began "the schedule." The who, the when of who stays overnight, who gets her settled in the morning, who spends the day, the weekend. At first a neighbor pitched in, ( mom decided she didn't like her, never had ) we tried the agency as supplement. Twenty an hour, and I arrive one day to find Mom had spent 2 hours of her care time in a plastic chair at the DMV, while our "help" took care of her personal auto issues. We tried another. She dozed off midday, woke to a "conversation", and found mom - confused, giggling, chatting in the kitchen with a gypsy in her attempt to rob our home, among others already invaded. Meanwhile, dad was still in very bad shape, the dialysis to/from travel late in evening, arrival home at midnight via yours truly. One sister helping, the other unwilling to alter her life, and me at . wits. end. They finally went together to a lovely but tiny assisted living situation, we continued the very close monitoring, found ONE adjunct / supplemental care giver for Mom, 3 days a week at their new home. A very mutual love affair developed,( Laurie and Mom) and it saved my life. Those 12 hours a week, saved all our lives.

Friends? J an J :

Multiple homes. An enviable life of travel, success, friends, you name it, and major resources. J, my lovely client of good times, fun projects, a million laughs included and especially when she bummed a ciggy. A beautiful woman who'd never had an awkward day in her life - a "Liz Taylor Blonde" if you will.

At first, she is just a wee bit daffy. Then, the loss of friends and activities. ( even good friends often find it terrifying, too unwatchable, too annoying, too..............?) The pace of mind demise quickens, her drivers license is gone, she's in the full time care of hubby with far flung grown children. His patience is more than remarkable, but his depression is equally evident and he's exhausted. Yours truly is at work on the home being built next door for his son living in another state. How many loving "pity dinners" did I eat with them that summer? I lost count. I could not leave that site without hearing "Jan!, Jan! Come over! Have dinner with us! I'm making.........." Why? Because J chattered non stop all day, followed him all day, and when I say she chattered, think of an all day water torture. An incessant, and unstoppable drip. No matter you love deeply for all the 60 years together, you'd feel your own mind will soon leave you. That you must find a place to .........scream. Thus I became the buffer, the good chat w/ hubby on those summer evenings, and three hours later at my departure? I was at.........scream. out. loud. They had a single "care giver"; she was a doll, patient, and she loved to cook. Four days a week, always on time, always with a treat of some baked goods in hand. But?! There was this:

" She's fat, I don't like her, why is she here?"

"She's very FAT!" Why is she here, and why is she so FAT?"

J's now in a memory care, luxury in nature. They feed her, dress her, engage her in activities, and she has a stuffed Siamese to baby as she did her own beloved cat.. Blond Liz is gone, and on her own long journey.

If anyone might believe that the first worry is about making the help, (rotating help) comfortable has not lived this type of care. Unless that help is staying multiple days or living in, or is very close family, he or she needs to leave, wants to leave. Might even leave with hair askew, teeth needing a brush: ) a coat tossed over the jammies. They need to go home and will want to go home, to their own "suite" home.

To the op? May you have the wonderful experience of finding however many "Lauries" you need. Cherish them for the rarity they are.

That^^ is as logical as suggesting a kitchen design is not about the number of cooks, or the number of meals prepared therein.

It's as logical as a bath design that would not consider who and when and how many use it.

I didn't suggest or imply the "impossibility" of care, I did absolutely say that a rotating care CAN be and often is, quite difficult to find and maintain. I have every right to point out that which is far too often factual. That is not a criticism of all care, or of the op, nor his attempt to make them comfortable in their stay. I have the right to suggest what I deem to be relevant to the post. You have whatever (odd) need you have, to "police" the commentary, especially mine. Curious, indeed.

( Care givers, not "caters)

Would it be at all feasible for the caregiver to use the adjacent bedroom to the person with dementia? I would not be comfortable leaving the person with dementia unattended on the floor so I question a basement renovation for this purpose.

So, if that means creating a bedroom suite (with egress) in the basement for someone else in the home (able bodied/able minded) then that might make sense.

This?

I would want the caregiver to be sleeping in the room adjacent to the patient. I would work with entire end of the house, as it is. Sadly, this will not be forever.

Use the three bedrooms and the full bathroom as the assisted living end of the house.

You choose which room for which of the three purposes; two bedrooms and the third room, more of a day room, with necessary furniture, tv...the master looks like a good choice as it it is the largest and brightest. Caretakers come and go using front door.

Share the kitchen.

Close off the dining room with a (pocket?) door, leaving access to the basement stairs from kitchen and the side door.

Permanently close up the back door to the dining room.

Turn the dining room into a bathroom. You said there is cellar under dining room, so easy access to plumbing. Easy also to include a washer/dryer.

Finish off the garage; make it into a nice large bedroom.

Need be, in the future, the bedroom can be a garage again and now there is a nice bath/laundry and mudroom right off the kitchen.

https://www.thespruce.com/garage-conversion-ideas-8551216

Actually, you are not changing anything in the garage, except doing something with the walls, if needed. You can inquire, but in my town, no building permit would be required.

@World 3i Group,I have a full suite in my lower level, however, there is a slider and two large windows.

The stairway was refinished with painted stairs, runner, hanging chandelier and took the door off because it turned out so pretty.

The problems I see with the dining/room basement are a bathroom needs to be close to the bedroom and the bedroom needs egress. If you can do that, then the dining room can be the sitting room.

There are ways to do it.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/basements/100039/how-to-add-a-basement-egress

In just the nature of the disease? I would take a "for now" sort of approach.

We don't know age or gender, "nurse/caregiver and "active loved one with beginning dementia" suggest slightly different conditions.

Long term planning is usually very wise, but there's a definite unpredictability factor with dementia. Fuzzy beginnings and yet fuzzier endings.

Seems if you back to back a great new bathroom to the primary, already enjoy "plenty of closet" , have those extra bedrooms, another opening to kitchen ? You've a really good "for now" solution. I might go so far as to say use two twin beds, in the event back to back nights are two different care providers, eliminating the need for a bedding change.

It is the early am hours and evening hours that are tops in importance. Bathing/dressing, getting ready for the day, and often more problematic, the days end. ( A bit of sun downing as they call it)

Daytime hours are the companionship/snack/meal issues, along with an ever watchful eye on the loved one and the easiest.

I'd start small scale alterations, and see what happens beyond, because even if distant family comes and supplants the regular rotating care? That same condition likely works just as well, for family.

Maybe we all need to read the title inlaw suite not one work about caregiver in that title In law suite in the main part of the house is the right palce for someone with even mild dementia. The caregivers who will come and go need to be near the inlaw not at the other end of the house for sure.We need to know if all the main bedrooms are in use at this time if so then an addition for both the inlaw and the caregivers . This space easily later converted to guest space . The fact is the inlaw will not get better so it needs to be faced. To have the person caring for the inlaw a whole house apart does not work . The grage seems logical for this space but can you do it or does the garge have to be demolished and rebuilt , then are you allowed by your city to do so . I think you need to stop and figure out what works . IMO the logical place in the house is a good basement renovation to house both and a good walkout to access the yard for outdoor sitting and a chair lift for visits with the family . The cost will be pricey for either choice so think about what is best for everyone

Are you looking for help creating a space for the person who needs care or the care provider? Do you want it to be a proper self contained suite or just have some comfortable things? What does the rest of the house look like?

My MIL also wanted to be "home". She would have been so much happier in an assisted living (progressing to memory care) facility with more people and activities. Unfortunately the child that lives nearby did everything to scare her and kept telling her that her other children wanted to abandon her in a nursing home. Too late now, and she will die depressed and bored in the "home" she wanted to stay in. She has rotating care, some of which are lovely and some of which just do the minimum they can get away with and collect a paycheck. Child that lives nearby doesn't care what the care takers are like, or if MIL is happy, as long as someone shows up. That child also only cares about spending the least amount and providing as little care as possible. The other children would be happy if MIL spent all her money to have good quality of life in her last years, but the local child took control when the opportunity presented itself. MIL would never have given that child control if she had been of sound mind.

So many levels of complexity to these ageing issues. Think of all the worst case scenarios and write up a will that will cover them.

Good luck.

^^^This.......yes, this. " Complexity" x 1000.

Don't even try to count the families with a similar story.

Call it "whatever", in-law suite is more of a generic word, and in this case, it is for a loved one to be close for support and care.

Years ago, when in our fifties, our attorney recommended several things we might need in old age. One was long term care insurance, as it would assure us that we would have the means to deal with what seemed, to us at the time, would never happen. We took her advice (she wasn't selling the product) and as years went by, we understood what this will mean for us and our daughter. Because we purchased the policy when we were younger and healthy, the premiums were very reasonable. Unfortunately, policies like ours don't exist anymore (inflation sensitive, stay at home with full time care, and a very substantial daily allowance). That is not to discourage you from looking into the product. I hope you all have an estate planning Attorney, who also specializes in elder care.

The 30 intervening years have flown by and here we are.

Kudos and prayers to @World 3i Group for this personal and challenging commitment.

It does matter what it is called. Is this the home the person needing care already lives in and now needs help in? Or is this the home of a person who cares about the older person, wants them to be able to live at home, but needs help with it? What do the rest of the rooms look like and are they all being used? In some of the replies the OP speaks as if they also live there and others not as much.

"House is charming and it's a L-ranch which is great for mobility and flexibility, and our loved one wants to be home"

___________________________

"The left side of the house is a good idea, and I can add another bathroom back to back with existing in the primary suite. There are plenty of closets"

_______________________________________

"I'm agreeing with the suggestion to do a garage conversion for an ADU, ( summer rental to ease care burden costs, )

Or for family from out of town ............."

___________________________________________--

My take:

None of the family is nearby. It may be a home in a fairly rural area, even a good summer vacation area.

It's not a parent of the op......he's in charge of the structure adjustment to accommodate the active but mentally compromised senior.....

Might also be in charge of procuring the rotating care, but we'll call that irrelevant here, OTHER than the aspect of the nearness to the compromised , the comfort of the caregiver, whether that be a day time shift, or an all night shift.

Me? I begin at triage. First problem , first. The extra bath for a caregiver . The extra bedroom/s set up for a rotating evening shift. Beyond that is later-

When you are under sixty, your 24 hour days seem to fly . When tasked with a 24/7 "watch" on an elderly with mental OR physical compromise, those 24 hours are now very very long and NEARNESS/coverage/safety is the "emergency" for all those 24 hrs . Triage is an apt description, as is bailing a boat in a rough sea. Good luck, and prayers and use the left side of the home..for n.o.w. You eat the elephant a bite at a time.: )

The most ideal situation I've ever seen? One that required no alteration to a home? A middle age couple moved into the home. Got a home, good pay, and care was 24/7/365 consistency.

They didn't need to live in a basement, a garage, there was no addition to a relatively modest home. They simply moved in and became family.

The house was willed to the care taking couple. One big happy family.

Since it isn’t said who all lives in the home, where the children are, who is nearby, I am not going to assume to know. Hopefully the OP will share a bit more info when they can or perhaps they have gained the support they need and have moved on.

@WestCoast Hopeful, "it does matter what it is called". What? Your responses seem like you want to challenge every post.. This is not a contest about who is right or wrong. Just share your thoughts and suggestions to @World 3i Group. No need for your critique.

Floor plan provided; dilemma described. It is not your business who lives in the home. Be thoughtful or move on.

Since none of us are able to speak in person and solely rely on words and pictures of course they matter and so does what people mean by them. What does an in law suite mean to the OP is crucial to understanding the dilemma. How the home functions is also important in understanding the dilemma. It is why people regularly ask about who lives in homes, how they live in homes and what their wants and needs are. Not sure why that is controversial or considered challenging at all.

Last we heard the OP was considering adding another bath to the left side. I find that rather challenging from a planning perspective as you could go from a ‘charming’ ranch to a very muddled one. To do another bath properly on the left side (and assuming you would keep the existing bath as is otherwise the scope creep seems unwise)…you would loose a bedroom on that level. If resale is not at all a concern then maybe this is ok. If it is ok, I’d suggest they make the new bathroom as ADA compliant as possible as then that could be the new en-suite for the person needing care.

If you look at posts OP has made there are a couple that appear to show this home. The layout seems to match the picture. Just for further reference