Seniors head south to Mexican nursing homes

[4dsc]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-15-mexnursinghome_N.htm?csp=22_dmr

An estimated 40,000 to 80,000 American retirees already live in Mexico, many of them in enclaves like San Miguel de Allende or the Chapala area, says David Warner, a University of Texas public affairs professor who has studied the phenomenon. There are no reliable data on how many are living in nursing homes, but at least five such facilities are on Lake Chapala alone.

"You can barely afford to live in the United States anymore," said Harry Kislevitz, 78, of New York City. A stroke victim, he moved to a convalescent home on the lake's shore two years ago and credits the staff with helping him recover his speech and ability to walk.

"Here you see the birds, you smell the air, and it's delicious," Kislevitz said. "You feel like living."

He has plenty of room for his two dogs and has a little patio that he shares with three other American residents. He gets 24-hour nursing care and three meals a day, cooked in a homey kitchen and served in a sun-washed dining room. His cottage has a living room, bedroom, kitchenette, bathroom and a walk-in closet.

For this Slater pays $550 a month, less than one-tenth of the going rate back home in Las Vegas. For another $140 a year, he gets full medical coverage from the Mexican government, including all his medicine and insulin for diabetes.

"This would all cost me a fortune in the United States," said Slater, a 65-year-old retired headwaiter.

[partylessinOhio]

1. IF it's so great down there WHY have millions of Mexicans crossed

the border illegally and sneaked into the United States?

[ccpup]

2. I suspect

it's because there was a time when America was thought of as the Land of Opportunity and, relatively speaking, if you're a young man wanting to succeed or a man with a family to feed and trouble finding work, the States compared to the opportunities in Mexico could still be considered that. But I suspect that view is changing.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. Good question. I think it's a case of apples and oranges.

These nursing home patients are spending about 700 per mos US dollars -- everything included. SS and/or SSD would usually cover this cost.

And it's just for one person... the retiree. The Mexican immigrants are often breadwinners for families with children. Many mouths, in some cases, to feed. And in many cases mucho dinero is sent back to Mexico to improve the quality of life for the family there.

That said, it seems that the nursing home 'bargain' is likely a temporary situation, as more and more US dollars are sent back to Mexico. Stands to reason that costs in general will rise there... including nursing home care.

[SoCalDem]

7. Dinero, mi amigo

:)

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. This is a match made in heaven.

I was just reading an OP on DU which stated that next we'll be killing the poor and I thought, we're already turning our backs on Seniors when it comes to medical care and achieving the same thing. Then I started to reminisce about how well latin American families take care of their grandparents and great-grand parents back in latin America. The lifestyle is slower, the old people live longer, for their means, and yes, the gramps, culturally, are very humble and not overbearing so it's easy to want to care for them.

So, what I'm getting to is, that the latin American culture takes care of its old people, it comes innately to them, as it once was in this country before it became obsessed with youth. If American seniors want to find the most affordable assisted living programs, they'd find it south of the border and American companies would be smart to start them down there where they can supervise to make sure they get the best supplies of everything, AND they won't have to worry about hiring illegal immigrants to get affordable labor. Big bonus would be for the native laborers. They can spend their money in their own country and keep their families intact.

[bmbmd]

5. I saw a guy at a free clinic in Juarez one time.

American national, white, forty years old, disabled from a back injury, bilingual, living on $650/month ss disablilty. He had migrated from El Paso to Juarez. "In El Paso," he said "I am a pauper. In Juarez, I am a king". He had government health coverage, but wanted a second opinion form the "consultante Americano" to make sure his meds were right. They were.

[SoCalDem]

6. Doesn't sound half-bad..

Facilities here usually strip everything from people before they admit them, no pets, very few personal belongings.. no wonder older people fear homes so much