Retirement and the encroachment of old age means you need to view life differently. It takes planning in finances and health. How do you want to live the rest of your life? Where is the best place for you to spend your remaining years? Is expatriating to Mexico right for you, and, more specifically, is Lake Chapala the right spot for you to call home?
Use these questions to help you decide if a place will really work for your retirement, now, and in the future:
Who will look after me in my old age?
Is there good medical care nearby?
How safe is it?
How will I get around if I can't drive?
After all, if this is to be your best and last move, it is important to take the time to learn where is the best retirement destination for you.
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Who will look after me in my old age?
Ah...old age. We all hope to avoid it but the fact is that most people, and yes that could well be you, will need some assistance in their final years. Since the majority of us do not want to burden our children with our disabilities we need to consider care homes as an option. Fortunately, Lake Chapala has a variety of elder care facilities available featuring different levels of care with pricing that is about a third of the cost of the U.S. and Canada.
Are there property managers, legal aid services, concierge services, home nursing, etc?
Fortunately, Lake Chapala has all of these and more. Live-in nursing care, live-in home care, home doctors visits, concierge services for whatever you require, and legal representation after you die,
Is there good medical care nearby?
Lake Chapala has two new hospitals with all the labs and machinery needed to do major operations and examinations. San Antonio Hospital and Riberas Medical Center are centrally located and equipped to deal with virtually any emergency.
In addition, Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, is only 1 hour away and has many top notch and modern facilities with doctors trained in the U.S. and Europe.
So take a moment to think. An idyllic Mexican puebla in the mountains or by the seashore may become too remote when you start to suffer from age related problems, or your home may become too hard to maintain after you’ve had a heart attack,
Make things easier for your kids and for yourself and be realistic when you make a move abroad. Adult children who are holding down jobs and rearing children of their own will be severely burdened if they must travel long distances to help elderly loved ones.
Also with age comes more frequent medical tests. Specific visits to oncologists, cardiologists, etc, can be a tremendous burden to yourself and your spouse when you live far away from good sized city.
So give proper consideration to the needs of tomorrow as well as the needs of today when you consider where to live in Mexico.
How Safe Is Lake Chapala?
There has been much media and U.S. Government warnings about living in Mexico but the fact remains that Mexico is a very large county and crime rates vary dramatically from area to area and even within cities. Is the Lake Chapala area ridden with crime? I would be lying to you if I told you that there was none but most people who make the move here will tell you that they feel safer here than back in the their home country, including myself. If you stay out of the drug trade and go about your normal business, you would be very unlikely to encounter any crimes against your person. If you don't believe me than go to the web boards in the area and pose your questions and when visiting, ask every person their opinion on how safe it is to live there. Everyone will have a different experience and provide you with a different opinion but overall you should arrive at a consensus of how safe the area is and what precautions you need to take. Then, when you are getting serious to make the move, visit the neighborhoods that appeal to you and speak with the neighbors.
How will I get around if I can’t drive?
At some point in your elder years you will have to face the fact that you may be forced to hang up the keys. So what about public transportation and the availability of drivers for your medical appointments, shopping, and dining out?
Lake Chapala has has a good public transportation in the form of frequent bus service along the Carretera. When that becomes too difficult to navigate there are many taxis and private drivers and driving services and all at low cost.
So is Lake Chapala the right spot for you to retire? Come on down and check it out.
For any questions about living in Lake Chapala, you can contact us here or through our Facebook Page. Remember, we offer free and unlimited email/phone support to help you make a smooth transition to Lake Chapala. Thanks for reading!
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Michaela & Ricardo are your FULL SERVICE Real Estate Agents. With over 25 years of combined experience Lakeside, and our network of area Professionals, we help guide you to from beginning to forever in your Retirement Journey to Lake Chapala, Mexico.
