Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities in Ajijic Mexico

Posted by Writer Evelyn on August 10, 2011 // 15 Comments

One of the businesses that is flourishing in the Lakeside area now is the Board and Care home (Nursing Home). Care for our loved ones is a major concern for most people in the United States and Canada. Unless you have long term care insurance, it could bankrupt you in just a few months. Nursing Homes and Assisted Living in Ajijic

I have a friend who has long-term care insurance. Unfortunately it was only good in the States. She had to send her husband up there, as she could no longer care for him with his Alzheimer’s.  The cost was over 3,000 dollars a month. The insurance paid for that but not the extra 350 dollars extra they charge to just give him his medications twice a day.

In contrast, the care homes in the Lakeside area range from 1,000 dollars a month up to 3,000 a month. The typical monthly fee is from 1200 a month to 1500 a month. This is a big difference from the homes in the States and Canada.

My ex-mother-in-law was in need of care a few years ago. She had long term care in the States which paid 6,000 dollars a month but when she went into it, the home called the family and said she needed extra care to the tune of 17.00 dollars an hour for 24 hours a day.

Of course, the insurance didn’t cover that extra cost and the family had to take her out of the home and care for her themselves. It was a difficult time for everyone. It made me wonder what the 6,000 dollars covered. I guess it just covered room and board.

This is extremely discouraging for families. So now people are looking to Mexico as a solution. The care here is even better than the institutional feeling homes in the States. They are usually in houses with just a few bedrooms, run by caring people.

Unfortunately, most long-term care insurance in the States and Canada doesn’t cover places in Mexico. It is usually cash only here. I have heard of a few policies that pay in Mexico. If you are concerned, then you should check with your agent.

There are several homes here and more are coming in every year. I am going to focus on just one group of homes. Otherwise it would take me several weeks to go to each one for information. Alicia’s homes are typical of the homes here and I have a great deal of respect for how they are managed. Besides, they are just one block from where I live, making it easy for me to visit.

I talked with Alejandro Mejia Sandoval, son of the owner Alicia.  Alex has been working with his mother’s homes since he was a child. He impressed me as a very loving individual. I would trust my family members with him. I would even be willing to check myself into one of his homes if I got to where I could no longer care for myself.

Alicia has three houses on the same block in Ajijic, in the Lower La Floresta area. It is a beautiful, safe neighborhood. There are lots of trees and flowers in her yards and in the neighborhood. One of her homes even has a pool in the backyard.

There are three different levels of care, ranging from no specific individual care needed to the extreme of Alzheimer’s with 24-hour personal care.

There isn’t much difference in the cost, unless they have to hire a person to constantly watch someone with Alzheimer’s. Most people don’t need that much attention. The home is set up so it is safe for them. So the cost, even for the people with Alzheimer’s ranges from 1200 dollars a month up to 1500 dollars a month. There is an extra charge for personal items, diapers, medicine and doctor appointments.

They have a doctor who is on call 24 hours a day. Alicia is a nurse and she lives in one of the houses. There are 2 to 3 employees available at each home all the time. They all understand English even though some don’t speak it. There are a total of 16 workers in the three homes.  The homes are almost always full. If someone leaves or passes away, their room is filled again within a month. Ninety-five percent of the people in the homes are from the States or Canada. People stay in the homes for years and often times until the end of their lives.

Sometimes there are people who just come to recover from a fall or minor surgery. They are in wheel chairs and only stay a few weeks or months. Then they go back to their own homes.

Alex works in all three homes from nine in the morning to eight at night, six and a half days a week. I watched him interact with the elderly people and he was very loving and patient. He said he is happy working in the homes even though he is an attorney. He would prefer to work with the elderly than as an attorney. Because of his degree, he is able to help people who come down from the States or Canada to get the necessary paperwork so they can stay in Mexico. He is also willing to travel to the States or Canada to bring someone down if the family isn’t able to do that. He is extremely helpful and accommodating.

Someone shops for groceries on a daily basis for all three homes. They have chicken, fish and twice a week they have red meat. Since meat isn’t good for most elderly people, they don’t have it more often. They serve three meals a day and also give out snacks in between meal times.

On holidays they have special meals and sometimes musicians drop in to entertain everyone. I love the relaxed, family feeling of the homes. There are several dogs, a parrot, some parakeets, a cat, canaries and fish.

If the bedroom has an outside entrance then the person living there can have a small dog or cat.

If people want to go to the grocery store, the movies, the doctor, hairdresser or any other place in town, someone will drive them for no charge. There is a small charge if they want to go into Guadalajara. If someone just wants to walk around the neighborhood there is help if needed.

Someone is always available to take a walk or do special things for the guests. Their laundry is done for them and all the cleaning. There is a TV on cable in each room and most of the rooms have private bathrooms. There is only one person to a bedroom. There is a phone in each bedroom and Vonage is available for long distance calls.

Alicia has been in the care home business for twenty years. I was impressed with all her homes.

Number 57, Paseo del Lago is for people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. There is a nurse on duty 24 hours a day. There are nine bedrooms.

Most of the people in this home have to wear diapers. There are five bathrooms. At the moment, only one room is available. Doctors are always available in case of an emergency.

As mentioned earlier in this article, the charge is from 1200 dollars to 1500 dollars a month, unless extra care is needed, for instance if someone is aggressive. This home is locked so people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia can’t wander off the premises. Try to find that kind of care in the States or Canada for that cost.

Paseo del Lago #9 is for assisted living. Alicia has owned this house for four years. It has eleven bedrooms. Each bedroom has a private bathroom. The people living in this home can do most things for themselves. They are free to come and go as they please. There is one room available now.

Paseo del Lago #7 is for people needing middle care. People who have had a stroke and are in recovery or maybe they are in wheel chairs or have to use walkers for a brief period of time. Their minds are good and the doors are not locked. They can come and go as they please. There are seven bedrooms and all are rented now.

Other homes, in the Lakeside area are listed below. Alicia’s information is also listed.

There may be more since the last local telephone book was published. I apologize if I have missed some. If you know of others, please e-mail their information to us.  I would greatly appreciate that.

For information on Alicia’s three homes, call Alejandro (Alex) Mejia Sandoval. His number is 766 1194

Blue House Nursing Home, telephone number: 766-1256, cell phone: (045) 899 187 6978.  Located at Camino Real #123, La Floresta, Ajijic

Casa del Lago (Casa de Ancianos), Telephone: 765 2497 or 765-5689,  Located at: Zaragoza #692, Chapala

La Casa Nostra   Telephone: 765-4187, Located at Santa Monica #22, Riberas del Pilar

La Sagrada Familia, Telephone: 762-1425, Located at Av. Aguilillas #133-A Ixtlahuacan

If you want to know more about the area, we are here to help. You can contact me in the comments below and either I or one of the Access team members will be glad to help you and answer questions.

Category : Blog &Healthcare