Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Many families in Encinitas who have elderly loved ones in San Diego County know that the cost of living is high, and the costs associated with nursing home care can be particularly steep. As reported in a recent article in Voice of San Diego, developers are beginning to think about the value of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities across the border in Baja California, where the cost of living may be much lower than in Southern California. Lower costs that come with the same quality of care could, of course, be great for seniors who are currently living in Encinitas and do not know how they will afford nursing home care. However, the article raises important questions about what happens if a senior sustains injuries as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect in Mexico. Could the patient or his or her family file a nursing home abuse lawsuit?
Nursing Homes in Mexico Attract California Residents
As the article details, Baja California has long been attracting Southern California residents to a more affordable place to live. Currently, there are anywhere from 300,000 to one million American retirees living in Mexico.
In response to demand from California residents who want the affordability of retirement in Mexico with the services of assisted-living facilities in the United States, about 10 years ago such assisted-living facilities started popping up in Baja California. More specifically, in 2008, the Serena Senior Care center in Baja California “opened its first assisted-living facility, which houses people with disabilities or other illnesses who can not or do not want to live independently, in northern Rosarito.” Flavio Olivieri, the chairman for Serena Senior Care, indicated that the creation of the assisted-living facility was in direct response to demand: “Serena’s clients and their families started asking for something more—a facility where they could stay and receive the care they needed once they weren’t fit enough to stay in their own homes.”
Currently, about 75% of the residents of that facility are American. According to Miguel Angel Torres, the executive director of Serena, “the facility is at the forefront of what could become a growing trend in Southern California senior care.”
Managing High Costs Associated with Nursing Homes and Assisted-Living Facilities
Assisted-living facilities and nursing homes in Baja have given retirees the ability to spend less. Recognizing that there are lower costs of living, real estate, and health care in Baja, companies that run retirement and assisted-living facilities in the U.S. have expanded into Mexico. For example, Leisure Care, which is based in Seattle, expanded into Baja just a few years ago. How much less expensive is it to live in an assisted-living facility in Baja than in Escondido or elsewhere in San Diego County?
According to the article, the average cost of a room in an assisted-living facility in San Diego is $2,360 per month. The cost in Serena is markedly lower at about $1,466. For nursing home care, the average cost in San Diego is $5,875 per month, while the average cost at Serena is $2,368 per month.
Filing a Lawsuit Against a Nursing Home or Assisted-Living Facility in Mexico
If nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Mexico can provide quality care at lower costs, that could be a welcome change to elderly Southern Californians. However, what happens when there is an incident of nursing home abuse or neglect?
Choice of law matters are extremely complicated. Will California or Mexico law apply? Where can a claim be filed? An experienced Escondido nursing home abuse lawyer can speak with you today. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.
See Related Blog Posts:
Alzheimer’s Study Could Prevent Nursing Home Abuse in San Marcos
Shortage of Home Health Aides in Vista
(image courtesy of Jonathan Adeline)
