Home sharing helping elderly with healthier, less financially stressful alternative

LOS ANGELES, CA - Don't want assisted living or nursing home for your loved ones?  Consider "home sharing." It's new housing project is vetting potential renters, so there's no risk to the seniors.  

"Life doesn't always turn out as planned." At least that's what happened to seniors Henry and Janet, former strangers, now living together.  Janet was engaged to be married when things started going in the opposite direction. "It didn't work out, and i really thought that i was just going to stay with him and live in that particular house the rest of my life." That's when her kids stepped in and discovered 88-year-old Henry was listing his home to help with finances.

He says it's easier for him to continue living in this home than going to a senior center. "When i heard they charge $6,000 a month in the senior center, no way!"  Homesharing participants say they go through a thorough process to make sure everything is safe and secure--for the renter and home provider.

"Security is a huge part of why we have formed the non-profit program to help provide a level of security. We can't completely eliminate risk,but we can minimize it." One of the ways they do that is doing compatibility checks to insure both parties will get along. For henry and Janet, they both like to talk.

"We canhave days of conversation about Europe and what  and where, so that's really fun for her and I. We don't get bored of any of it. My children said, 'Dad, if you ruin that with your much talking to that lady, i will never forgive you!'" Now the pair not only has a new roommate, but a new friend to help them navigate through this new chapter in life.