A Hudson Valley company has come up with a new way to help elderly or disabled people live independently while staying close to family. ECHO Cottages are small, portable garden homes placed in the backyard of an existing home. They serve as an alternative to assisted living facilities or nursing homes, at a fraction of the cost.

Units are wheelchair accessible and equipped with all the amenities of home, including a full kitchen with dishwasher and microwave/convection oven, dining nook, living room, bathroom with walk-in shower, convenience-height toilet with grab bars, and a large bedroom that fits a queen-sized bed with room all the way around for a walker or wheelchair. The cottage’s alarm system can be converted to a monitoring system for extra peace of mind. Each cottage is stick-built on a mobile home chassis for easy placement and removal. All utilities tie in to the host home.

ECHO Cottages cost $60,000 fully installed or can be rented month to month for $1,300 per month. (Rental includes an installation/removal fee, usually between $7,000 and $9,000, depending on the location and property.) If the cottage is rented, the company will remove it and restore the yard once the unit is no longer needed.

A model cottage is available for tours (by appointment) at 1103 Rte. 82, Hopewell Junction, NY. For more information, visit ECHOCottages.com, call 845.206.6525, or email [email protected].