Moving Mom & Dad — Abroad
Image by Lincolnian (Brian) via Flickr
Retirement village? Assisted living? Co-housing? Age-restricted or aging-in-place communities? Inter-generational cooperative? This space has explored many of the growing varieties of housing choices for boomers and elders when the time comes to downsize, rightsize, clear out or economize. Here’s a new one that’s making the news: think global.
Even with (and sometimes because of) today’s grim economy, increasing numbers of Americans are choosing senior housing overseas. Some are returning to former homes in countries with lower costs or better health care, some are finding bargain housing in inexpensive areas where they have friends or a support community.
But many are just making housing in another country life’s last great adventure.
According to Boomers Abroad, an ambitious online community/social network, the number of Americans and Canadians living abroad, already about 7 million, is expected to double and then some within the next 10 years — and you’re invited to join them. The site links to the top five locales listed in the just-released September/October issue of AARP The Magazine the best of what Mexico, France, Panama, Portugal and Italy have to offer—”castles, palm trees, rain forests, grilled lobster—in their unique and unparalleled retirement experiences. ”
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it sounds like it would not be hard to find a country with a better health care system than the usa to retire in
Hi Fran – I hope to find you elsewhere after today. My last comments to you were stuck in limbo as escalating business and family pressures made my free-time choices narrower. And now it is down to the last day with T/S, a site I felt had a partnership with in an outer orbit way. Recently I checked into Uruguay, a very stable South American country with beaches, great living conditions, but, alas, a twenty four hour plane ride. Couldn’t stand being away from my grandson and SoCal is very beautiful. Tom Medlicott
I plan to stick around with the new site, Tom, and look forward to continuing good-commentary dialogue. May retirement home, meanwhile, be where the heart is.
In response to another comment. See in context »Ms. Johns,
I don’t know, while it is undeniable cheaper to live in Costa Rica than the US if you are retired and earning US dollars, I would have a hard time being so far from friends and family that I have known my whole life.
Good Luck to you…
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
Costa Rica, France, Italy for retirement? Sounds pretty good except when one finds that one forgoes Medicare (besides old friends and family). We are oldish and live part of the year in Berlin. Because of a major medical situation hanging over us it’s impossible to get insurance and so every day is a gamble…medically. If a medical crises arises we are in deep trouble financially, even though medical costs are much lower here. What is your answer to the medical roulette one is forced to play?
and few people ever really master the language or feel totally at home
In response to another comment. See in context »visiting will only get harder as we age
I have lived abroad and it was good but not home
sorry, I meant nothing bad about people who live abroad or know what they are doing, but some sites and news outlets are painting a rosy picture. Telling folks who have never been overseas to go and live like kings etc.
Internatonal living is really pushing real estate in places like Belize and Ecuador which will be challenging to middle class Americans
You Wanted to Make it,I Made it and They Ate it…
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