Reply #17: While the causes of this trand are extremely troubling ...

[markpkessinger]

... a shift towards a (very slightly) earlier model of family living accommodations where multiple generations live together under one roof is, in itself, Not A Bad Thing. I was born in 1961, and as a kid and probably well into the 1970s, there were probably more households in this country who had an elderly grandparent, or even aunt or uncle, living with the family than there were those that did not. In my case, my grandmother did not live with us, exactly -- she slept every night in her own home about a mile away -- she spent virtually six days a week with us. Dad would pick her up in the morning, and take her home sometime after dinner. Dad had a retail propane and appliance business, with the store in the front part of the building in which we lived, so my grandmother would often mind the store if Dad was out on the road or otherwise occupied. When my Dad was growing up (in the very same house), they had one of his grandmothers and a great uncle living with the family in their later years. I think it is a much healthier model than simply shipping grandma off to a nursing home or assisted living facility (unless, of course, that's what grandma wants).