I reported several days ago about a family who decided to send their aging parents to India to receive better nursing home care at lower cost. Well, it appears some Americans are just driving across our southern border to Mexico for the same reason.
USA Today reports that more and more elderly Americans are moving to Mexico. 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.
As millions of baby boomers reach retirement age and U.S. health care costs soar, Mexican nursing home managers expect more American seniors to head south in coming years. Mexico’s proximity to the USA, low labor costs and warm climate make it attractive, although residents caution that quality of care varies greatly in an industry that is just getting off the ground here.