The Way We Live Now: Just trying to keep the olds in one place. As if we didn't have enough troubles, what with our money and our nation and our companies going up in flames. Grandma's in the yard—angry.

The Paper of Record today reported on the not new trend for the elderly: Wandering off in a fog of dementia. I mean, wandering off in a fog of dementia has always been a thing, but now it's totally the thing.

And what are you, made of money? You can't afford chains for Grandma and a minder to mind her. A recession is on. Your portfolio of Greek investments has cratered, the big layoffs your company had are now coming back to hurt your company again, and the money you won in the casino burned up, along with your house.

Damn.

Don't say "damn!" You are fortunate enough to live in the year 2010 in the US of A, which is the most fortunate place ever to live in human history, except maybe like, 2007 in the US of A. The point is that a Methodist reverend in Virginia has invented the MEDcottage, "a portable dwelling that could be trucked to a loved one's back yard." That loved one: Grandma. The reason the MEDcottage is in the yard: Because grandma is living in it, because she's old and she wanders off and the MEDcottage will keep an eye on her, electronically, and she'll still be close to family—just right out in the back yard.

USA.

[Pic: Flickr]