As the nation reels from the impact of the Great Recession, many families are finding new ways to live together, including creating multigenerational households to save money and consolidate resources. Indeed, as the authors point out, the concept of nuclear family living is an aberration in our history that stemmed from post-World War II prosperity, mobility, and the associated baby boom. However, the threatened failure of American social security and healthcare systems is forcing us all to rethink how we live and care for one another. This book covers the financial and emotional benefits of living together, proximity and privacy, designing and remodeling your home to accommodate adult children or elderly parents, overcoming cultural stigmas about interdependent living, financial and legal planning, and making cohabitation agreements.
Sharon Graham Niederhaus completed her master's thesis at Stanford University on multigenerational living arrangements. A credentialed K-12 teacher, she has written numerous articles in educational journals and was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in San Mateo County, California, for her community-building work. John L. Graham is professor emeritus of business at the Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine. His previous books on consumer behavior and negotiation have been published in several languages in countries around the world.
Part I. Seeing Your Future Chapter 1: Dodging the Nursing Home Chapter 2: Two Decades of Change for American Families Have Already Begun Part II. The Benefits Chapter 3: Why Living Together Again Makes Sense Chapter 4: Stories about Caregiving Benefits for the Young and Old Chapter 5: Stories about Grand Relationships Part III. The Practicalities Chapter 6: Deciding to Live Together Chapter 7: Proximity and Privacy: Living Together in Helpful Ways Chapter 8: Other Times, Other Places Chapter 9: Designing and Remodeling Your Home for Privacy Chapter 10: How to Find, Buy, or Build Housing Chapter 11: Making Your Home Accessible to Seniors Part IV. The Challenges Chapter 12: Overcoming Cultural Stigmas: Four Curses and a Blessing Chapter 13: Financial and Legal Considerations Chapter 14: Making Agreements for Living Together Notes
The nuclear family is falling back to what may be more traditional family. All in the Family: A Practical Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living discusses the recent rise in parents living with their parents and other issues that have come with the decline of the surge of prosperity in the second half of the twentieth century. With advice on the personal issues that come from this return to the family house and many generations, including the concepts of privacy, raising children, and the often unspoken benefits, All in the Family is well worth considering for those who want to better understand this new normal. * Midwest Book Review *
