stairs leading to a basement
Jade Small
Jade Small
December 9, 2023 ·  3 min read

This couple’s son didn’t want to put them in a nursing home. So he came up with a secret plan to surprise them with.

One of the hardest parts about growing older is knowing that we may have to watch the ones we love get older too. When one man weighed his options, the only one that made sense to him was to redecorate his basement. Rather than put his parents in a nursing home, or hire a caretaker, he chose to keep them close.

Person Holding a Stress Ball
Matthias Zomer – Pexels

Have you ever had to consider hiring help for your elderly parents? There is a different answer for every situation. Some people choose to have their parents receive assistance in a care facility. Others may require a more personalized touch, so, they hire an individual to help them at their homes. However, Schon Miller recognized the fact his parents were starting to struggle on their own. His decision was slightly different from the ones previously mentioned.

Schon and his wife Jeanie were horrified with the nursing home options in their area. So, Schon’s 87-year-old parents were going to get the care they needed in a very special way.

Read: The Love of a Grandparent is One of the Greatest Blessings a Kid can Have

The Most Beautiful Surprise in a Basement

Have you ever heard of a “granny flat” or “granny pod?” It’s basically an in-law suite attached to a home, complete with its own kitchen, bedroom, lounge, and bathroom. Schon and Jeanie were originally looking for a new home with an in-law suite. However, they didn’t find anything that really fit the bill for what they needed.

What they chose to do instead was to refurbish their basement. Originally a rec-room filled with a billiard table, a karaoke machine, and a few other man cave items, the basement was completely transformed. Schon did a lot more than just add a few recliners and a shower. In fact, they ended up having to demolish a part of the basement in order to fully facilitate his parent’s new living space.

The shower and toilet had handrails installed for safety, and the kitchen was designed to be easy to keep clean. Schon thought of everything for his parents. Even though they are still fiercely independent, the elderly couple Bonnie and George greatly appreciate the immense effort their son went through.

basement elderly couple
YouTube – Caters Clips

The look on Bonnie’s face when Schon opened the door for her and George is truly heartwarming. As the video below begins, Schon’s parents are just arriving at the newly redone basement. With Bonnie in a wheelchair, and George following behind. His mom almost immediately cries tears of joy, and his dad seems truly impressed as Schon gives them the grand tour.

YouTube – Caters Clips

Effort and Love

Transforming their basement into a home for Bonnie and George took an incredible amount of effort. However, it took even more love for them to complete the massive project. And it looks like it had quite the impact on the elderly couple who could not contain their emotions when seeing their new home for the first time.

YouTube – Caters Clips

Keep Reading: Grandma’s Rules for Hanging Out the Laundry

Sources

  1. WATCH: Emotional moment son surprises his elderly folks with place to stay.” News24. March 23, 2019
  2. Emotional moment son surprises mum with fully refurbished granny flat.” MirrorUK. Randal Coombs. March 31, 2019
  3. In-Laws Get Surprised With New Room.” YouTube. Cater’s Clips