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I'll never trade life where I live for a city because I'm phobic about death and disease. I pay fifty dollars per year for helicopter service should the need arise, but it hasn't yet. City people seem to have a real problem with those of us who like the country. They've previously attacked us for not being near fine dining, concerts, nightclubs, health care, and even access to street drugs. The OP in this thread tries to frighten us into living in his preferred sort of area regardless of our choices. Why does he care?
We could turn the tables and tell city people they should move for reasons ranging from high violent crime rate to light pollution of the starry skies, but we don't. I have yet to see a thread begun to discourage people from living in cities. It's all the other way around. We're not all suffering from dementia; we know we're farther from medical care. We've simply ordered our priorities differently.
Apparently, there are some who need reassurance that they made the correct choices. Rural people don't seem to have that need because, in my experience, we really don't care what others think.
Bolded the important part of that; hope you don't mind. As an old city boy who wants a taste of rural before he dies, I "get" this. And for what it's worth, I've never met anyone who had a real problem with rural folk. Maybe that's a NYC or LA thing? I was raised in Denver and am curious about that. Where are you hanging out that people are telling you to move to the city?
Bolded the important part of that; hope you don't mind. As an old city boy who wants a taste of rural before he dies, I "get" this. And for what it's worth, I've never met anyone who had a real problem with rural folk. Maybe that's a NYC or LA thing? I was raised in Denver and am curious about that. Where are you hanging out that people are telling you to move to the city?
Bolded the important part of that; hope you don't mind. As an old city boy who wants a taste of rural before he dies, I "get" this. And for what it's worth, I've never met anyone who had a real problem with rural folk. Maybe that's a NYC or LA thing? I was raised in Denver and am curious about that. Where are you hanging out that people are telling you to move to the city?
All over the Retirement forum too. Top notch medical care, a hour or less to a major airport, no more than 5 miles to supermarkets or big box stores, walkability to nearby cafes and bookstores, lots of public transportation, extra high speed internet, world class cultural events, a major university, etc. are commonly listed as very important to retirement. Even those retirees in their late 50's and early 60's don't want to drive any distance and are concerned about developing a life threatening health condition.
All over the Retirement forum too. Top notch medical care, a hour or less to a major airport, no more than 5 miles to supermarkets or big box stores, walkability to nearby cafes and bookstores, lots of public transportation, extra high speed internet, world class cultural events, a major university, etc. are commonly listed as very important to retirement. Even those retirees in their late 50's and early 60's don't want to drive any distance and are concerned about developing a life threatening health condition.
Everyone has their priorities. There is no perfect place. So everyone must choose for themselves were to be. I don't pay any attention to those knocking a place just because it doesn't fit their image of what they want. Otherwise it would be pretty crowded in that one perfect place that would attract everyone
I'll never trade life where I live for a city because I'm phobic about death and disease. I pay fifty dollars per year for helicopter service should the need arise, but it hasn't yet. City people seem to have a real problem with those of us who like the country. They've previously attacked us for not being near fine dining, concerts, nightclubs, health care, and even access to street drugs. The OP in this thread tries to frighten us into living in his preferred sort of area regardless of our choices. Why does he care?
We could turn the tables and tell city people they should move for reasons ranging from high violent crime rate to light pollution of the starry skies, but we don't. I have yet to see a thread begun to discourage people from living in cities. It's all the other way around. We're not all suffering from dementia; we know we're farther from medical care. We've simply ordered our priorities differently.
Apparently, there are some who need reassurance that they made the correct choices. Rural people don't seem to have that need because, in my experience, we really don't care what others think.
No one is attacking you.
But for every cheery story of yours, I've seen 1 or 2 threads, maybe more, along the lines of "my 85 / 90 year old mom is in a 3000 SF house 2 hours from the hospital. I'm at my wits' end .... "
But for every cheery story of yours, I've seen 1 or 2 threads, maybe more, along the lines of "my 85 / 90 year old mom is in a 3000 SF house 2 hours from the hospital. I'm at my wits' end .... "
Sorry, I don't want to be THAT guy or gal ....
A lot of older people, do not want to give up with the familiar.
I am 85 and my wife is 87, and both in excellent health. We live in a 4 level 3,700 sq. ft. contemporary home on 5 acres with 1 acre landscaped. We no longer feel safe climbing chairs, so installed 3 chairlifts. We have a housekeeper that comes in 3 days a week, and someone to use our equipment to maintain the outside. Our town is only about 2,000 people. There is a new trauma center hospital 1 1/2 miles away, and we can be at a major city hospital that is top notch, in a few minutes by helicopter after being stabilized here.
We left the big city (Silicon Valley) when the smog was killing my wife. The doctor said move, or go down and arrange her funeral which would not be over 6 months away. Moved away from city living, and many years later she is very healthy.
Many people will die, if they have to live in the city environment.
There is nothing new about smaller community hospitals closing. That has been going on for years. There are other considerations besides getting to a hospital. Modern medicine has become very complex and uses specialized tests, procedures, and equipment. Specialist doctors are also needed for the many complex medical issues. Ending up in a small hospital may not provide the level or quality of care expected. On top of that just getting to a hospital which can provide appropriate care would not necessarily met my expectations. The same with the availability of a specialist. There is a huge difference in outcomes for the best hospitals and specialists versus other hospitals and specialists providing the same services.
I don't think the trend has anything to do with the ACA - that is insurance based regulation.
I do think the trend will move to what we have here, a small clinic open three to four days a week and run by a PA (although could be a Nurse Practitioner too) affiliated with large regional hospitals in higher population centers with more patient use to cover the overhead of advances in medical machines and the costs associated with those advances. Your check-ups and run of the mil coughs, colds, flus, and infections will be handled locally, and more sever illness will require travel - but I doubt that is truly a new trend in rural health care, most "hospitals" in rural areas are really "clinics" capability wise, not a true hospital with trauma care and specialty treatment capabilities.
Generally speaking if you have a serious illness or terminal illness, you are going to specialty clinics/hospital anyway, and travel is usually involved. I am in NW MT and serious cancer treatments go to SLC UT for treatment with local follow-up at the regional health center/hospital.
The connection with the ACA is lower income people losing/not being able to afford insurance and still using the hospitals.
Oh yes! What a bunch of fanatics and zealots in that forum! (I don't mean every single poster there, of course). And I even like urban living, at least the Los Angeles version of it I have carved out for myself, but with me it's not a dogma or a moral issue, just a personal preference. I have absolutely no quarrel with people who prefer rural or small town living.
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