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I have read several books on retiring, living, buying etc. in Costa Rica and reading posts on 2 forums.
It’s seems extremely rare that they talk about those expats who (once a day) will loose their physical capacity. What kind of life they will have in CR?
It’s seems to me one of the important questions to ask before moving if you are in age to retire. This question is avoid, why?
After reading it looks like in the near future there will be thousands of very old expats living in CR.Several weeks ago I’ve asked here on this forum for public or private places for that kind of people. I had only one answer (from Mr Oliver) for only one place in CR. He says that it could be an interesting domain to invest. He is probably right but could you imagine the bureaucraty for that in CR.
Anyway the question I want to ask you here is not about investments but:
If you are living in CR as a retired, what are you going to do or where are you going to go when this time will come?Many thanks answering and please excuse my poor english.
i know several people who are in that condition, and they are being cared for at home because one of the great things about costar rica is that you can actually afford to have full-time, round the clock care without going bankrupt. one woman i know is paying $10 a hour for a registered nurse to do home health care. in the states, that would cost about $300 for an 8 hour shift. i guess when home health care is no longer possible at the very end, you go to a hospital.
Did you read ‘Retirement in Costa Rica: Real lives and real perspectives from San Ramon’ at [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/2114.cfm ]?
Jill says: “Well my dad for one thing, is 98. Every week in the States we were at the emergency room with a life threatening crisis. We’ve been here for over a year now and he hasn’t had a single trip to the E.R. He is healthier now. He looks like a man in his 70s. It’s mind boggling. He’s sharper. In the States he was becoming demented. That’s cleared up now. Personally I’m the same. I don’t get sick easily. The air seems fresher here, but that could be because I’m so much happier, hard to say.”
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to no longer fear the health care bills.”
Jill’s husband Bob says that: “Quite frankly I’m surprised at how much better my life is.”
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comi was referring to bob and jill, and they have great home care for her dad now, thus relieving the burden on both of them.
In answer to your question, ‘Is CR able to receive those retired expats?’ Is yes, they can receive them, although as ex-pats we all have heard that over 50% of people moving here, return ‘home’ due to life not being exactly what they envisioned for themselves. Some may return after a spouse dies. Many Canadians and Americans can return ‘home’ and have their medical costs paid for, after the age 65. Some come here thinking that CAJA will provide all their answers to rising medical costs, and then realize that although much less expensive, it is definitely not ‘free’ and many of us will go to a private clinic or laboratory rather than having to wait and wait and wait…
In fact I did this today, paid $80 for tests.
I think it is different for a couple bringing an aging parent and having them cared for at home, rather than paying out $$$$ and having the horrible choice on whether or not to make the move and leave behind their loved ones. My father had to be placed in such a facility in Canada, when my mother could no longer care for him, and it broke her heart.
If is ‘yourself’ who is getting older here and will in turn require the services of a ‘helper’ or an assisted living facility, and which they in turn are solely responsible in paying for it, it is an entirely different matter. Do you/they have financial means to use an assisted living facility? Pay for ‘home care’? Unless you have immediate family here, you will need to ‘pay the caregiver’…somehow.
There were reports last year of a couple of new facilities being developed in Costa Rica, but with the downturn in the world economy and thousands of people losing pensions and homes, is there really any surprise that these plans have collapsed?
On another forum, there used to be an owner of three assisted living facilities in the USA and he was asked ‘why didn’t he do this here’ and he said, ‘there wasn’t the need for it’.CRfinca, have those initiatives really collapsed? I wouldn’t think that there would be a great demand from among Costa Ricans whose family ties are enormously strong, but with the lower wages Costa Ricans earn this seems like a place where a labor-intensive endeavor such as a long term care facility couldn’t miss. In fact, it seems like Americans and Canadians would move to, not from, Costa Rica to obtain such care for a family member especially if they were paying for it with their own resources.
As always, I could be wrong.
David, I don’t think you are often ‘wrong’.
And as for bringing a family member to stay in a facility here, it may be be less expensive than a similar assisted living home in the USA, but what I had read on the proposed sites, they were still very expensive, considering the lower labor costs. Home care, seems to be the way to go. I had occasion recently after an accident, where I was required to spend 6 weeks, immobilized in bed, and needed ‘home care’ but this was provided by our workers wife who would not hear of paying ‘anyone’ to provide it and did it herself. It was as professional as I could have received in Canada and I will forever grateful.
As I mentioned, if one has to pay for their own care, it may be cost prohibitive, costing much more than the required pension that someone with ‘pensionado’ status is required to have.
If someone opened a small, no frills ‘home’ with good care, it would probably be successful. For most ex-pats, their Spanish is less than perfect, so for the staff to speak English, would benefit everyone.
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