A burgeoning market for assisted living and senior living facilities in Mexico is drawing retirement-age baby boomers, according to The Dallas Morning News. Many factors contribute to the appeal of a Mexican retirement, including quality of care, climate and cost, the newspaper reports. A recent MetLife survey places the average cost of assisted care in the U.S. at just over $3,000 per month, while many facilities in Mexico can provide similar care for $1,100 per month, according to the newspaper. Also, many expect that Mexican culture—one that values taking care of the elderly at home—will be suited for the long-term care field. But precisely because of its home-care oriented culture, nursing homes in the country are sparse. The industry is almost entirely deregulated, leading some to question the safety of a Mexican retirement.

from PHI:

Pioneer Network,
a national organization leading the movement for radical change in the
culture of long-term care, is launching the Small House Online
Networking Initiative to bring together key stakeholders to explore the
idea of community-based “small houses” for older adults.

With the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the new
initiative aims to enhance communication and shared learning among
those interested in the financing and delivery of person-directed
long-term care through small houses—an alternative to institutional
nursing homes. The virtual meeting place will also provide a forum for
providers who currently run small house initiatives to exchange
information.

PHI has supported such alternatives by
developing training for staff who were moving from traditional nursing
home environments to Green Houses®.

THE GREEN HOUSE Project was initially developed by Dr. William Thomas,
a professor at the University of Maryland’s Erickson School and leader
in the elder culture change movement, who writes a blog called Changing Aging.org.

The first Green Houses® opened in Tupelo, Miss., in 2003, to provide
seniors of all incomes with more dignity, autonomy, and choice in
long-term care. The name stems from the focus on encouraging personal
growth among residents. The idea is that Green Houses® cost no more to
run than traditional homes because they produce less waste and require
less infrastructure.