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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?
I only see it here. No one tells me off of the forum. I do know urbanites in real life,but they never tell me tell me—just here on good old c-d's forum for the elderly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly
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 .... "
Sorry, I don't want to be THAT guy or gal ....
If I live that long, I'd like to be in my 4200 sq. ft. house. Two hours from a hospital is OK although I'm only about an hour for the ambulance round trip.. If the EMTs can't stabilize me for two hours—Adios!
It's not just rural areas... area urban Hospitals are closing too..
Also, community Hospitals are being acquired if they don't close.
The large chains have the clout to influence the market and demand greater reimbursements.
I have 26 years in a community based hospital... each year the requirements increase and being a stand alone it is all on us... the large chains have in house legal, HR, Compliance that serve many facilities where an independent must provide all the same based on the revenue from a single site.
In medical, it is coming to the model where only the big survive...
In medical, it is coming to the model of a single payer system
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner
It's not just rural areas... area urban Hospitals are closing too..
Also, community Hospitals are being acquired if they don't close.
The large chains have the clout to influence the market and demand greater reimbursements.
I have 26 years in a community based hospital... each year the requirements increase and being a stand alone it is all on us... the large chains have in house legal, HR, Compliance that serve many facilities where an independent must provide all the same based on the revenue from a single site.
In medical, it is coming to the model where only the big survive...
There are already too many threads on that boring slop. Let this one be what it started out to be: urban versus rural.
There are already too many threads on that boring slop. Let this one be what it started out to be: urban versus rural.
Boring slop? Healthcare is one of the most important considerations for retirees. Some may not realize it at first, but as we get older healthcare becomes very important.
In case you did not pay attention, this thread is about the epidemic of dying rural hospitals. If you want to discuss something else, maybe you should start a new thread.
I think one can find a compromise if one tries. I'm looking into where I want to retire and the only thing that appeals to me are small towns with not more than 10,000 people preferable about 2000. I would never move to a large city to be near the best hospitals. That's not me. I refuse to be unhappy and forced to live in a large city because some day, I'll most likely need a large hospital. I'm not going to live forever either way. With any luck, I'll just drop dead at a ripe old age as most of my relatives have done.
There are small towns with small hospitals that are about a 30 minutes from larger hospitals in larger cities out there. That's as good as it's going to get for me. Like I said, I won't spend the rest of my life living where I don't want to because it's near a major hospital. No thank you.
Agree as we get older hospital locations are how good are they are bigger considerations. I love mountain areas but when you start thinking about the time required in an emergency to get to a good hospital that could mean life or death it becomes a bigger question on moving there.
This is a theme I hear over and over again from some here. Do I want to feel happy and fulfilled or play it safe? I'd rather live my dream and die five years earlier. Sorry, but death is not something I fear.
I think one can find a compromise if one tries. I'm looking into where I want to retire and the only thing that appeals to me are small towns with not more than 10,000 people preferable about 2000. I would never move to a large city to be near the best hospitals. That's not me. I refuse to be unhappy and forced to live in a large city because some day, I'll most likely need a large hospital. I'm not going to live forever either way.
There are small towns with small hospitals that are about a 30 minutes from larger hospitals in larger cities out there. That's as good as it's going to get for me. Like I said, I won't spend the rest of my life living where I don't want to because it's near a major hospital. No thank you.
so you'd rather be happy? imagine that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny
Boring slop? Healthcare is one of the most important considerations for retirees. Some may not realize it at first, but as we get older healthcare becomes very important.
.
Personally, I believe being happy is more important than Healthcare. Being happy, die at 75 living in an area that gives you joy or living in an area that is not to your liking with great hospitals that you visit often and living to be 85. Easy choice, unless your fear of death is your driving force.
I think one can find a compromise if one tries. I'm looking into where I want to retire and the only thing that appeals to me are small towns with not more than 10,000 people preferable about 2000. I would never move to a large city to be near the best hospitals. That's not me. I refuse to be unhappy and forced to live in a large city because some day, I'll most likely need a large hospital. I'm not going to live forever either way. With any luck, I'll just drop dead at a ripe old age as most of my relatives have done.
There are small towns with small hospitals that are about a 30 minutes from larger hospitals in larger cities out there. That's as good as it's going to get for me. Like I said, I won't spend the rest of my life living where I don't want to because it's near a major hospital. No thank you.
This could have been a post written by me about a year or more ago. Since then, I've made friends with older friends in my little rural community who have the need for dialysis or oncology doctors, etc., and this means they have to drive about 2 1/2 hours away. And that's when the road is not closed due to landslides or the road falling into the ocean. And when it's open, there are usually long delays waiting for pilot cars because the highway is down to one lane - again.
And when someone has a heart attack, it means they get flown to Grants Pass, OR, or Medford, OR. And if they have family or friends who want to visit them, they have to travel 2 1/2 - 3 hours (when the roads are clear), each way.
This has made me think a little farther into the future. I don't have those types of health needs at this point, although I was referred to a specialist in Eureka that, fortunately, I only had to see once. But, add up the gas and the potential to be stranded and having to get a hotel if/when the roads close - and it's a very long, stressful, expensive trip to see your medical provider.
And, I realized it was going to be exhausting and stressful to move back to the city at age 61 - now. If I wait until I need that city healthcare, and need to move at 71 or 81? I just can't even imagine it.
So, I really understand both sides of this. I didn't want to have my location driven by future health care needs/worries, until the day that is an issue. But, I've come to realize I'd rather put myself into a location now, where health care worries won't be a problem in the future.
There's no wrong or right here. I do think the OP's intention to just let people know that this is a serious consideration - is commendable.
My experience, and including myself, is that people usually can't be talked out of their ideas. If someone really wants to believe retirement will be great in a rural community without long-term health care facilities, nobody here will be able to burst their bubble.
Does Medicare pay for Medi-flight or is there a special rider that people in more rural areas get? If you need specialty care some five hours' drive away, are you on your own?
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