My mother in-law moved in a week ago we have a small house and also a 5yr old which she will have to share a bathroom with! We want to convert our garage in to a mother inlaw suite. So she can stay with us and be safe. Does any know if the government has special loans that could help us? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
If there are stairs from the house proper to the garage, you might need to make accommodations there as well, such as installing a ramp. And since this would be a living area, there probably would be 2 methods of exterior access required.
If MIL was married to a veteran, do some research on VA assisted retrofits for accessibility, then contact the VA to determine if MIL is qualified for a VA loan.
If she is incontinent, you plan that into the design so every surface is easily cleaned and deodorized. Many people do this and a year after it is completed mom is in a nursing home anyway. Think far ahead.
You probably have already made a list of what is involved to convert a garage into a bedroom. GardenArtist above mentioned plumbing and electricity. You will also need to extend the heat ducts and add insulation to the walls and ceiling. Carpeting would need a very thick padding as the garage floor is on a slab and will be cold in winter. But not too thick if your husband's Mom will need a wheelchair or rolling walker. And, of course, the garage door removed and a wall installed with a window, plus siding or brick on the outside. If you live in a HOA subdivision you would need permission before you even start.
I noticed in your profile you said you are already overwhelmed, and your Mom-in-law has been there only a week. Is the overwhelm part due to the size of the house and/or the amount of care that your mother-in-law needs?
You had also wrote that your husband's Mom had wet her bed and she blamed it on your 5 year old.... oh my gosh, that isn't a good start.... Grandma should be fun person to be around, not someone who is blaming a child for things that she herself is doing.
Oh my gosh, I can't believe your husband's mother just assumed you all would take her in without asking. What does your husband think about this? Where was she living prior?