Considering Idaho Relocation -- With Health Questions (Boise, Twin Falls: for sale, real estate)

[2nd trick op]

I'm a single male who will turn 73 early this fall, in general good health -- have never used "recreational" drugs or smoked, and seldom drank -- but "the cracks in the facade" are beginning to show up. I underwent major spinal surgery at age ten, and the legacy of this -- poor coordination and stresses due to a distorted sense of balance -- may have been a factor in a broken leg which confined me to an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) earlier this year-- and obviously, these things aren't cheap.

I've put my home, which is in a desirable location but no longer sited to my needs, up for sale. have a brother and sister-in-law who relocated to rural Idaho some years ago, and who are encouraging me to consider relocation, but they have their own problems, and I don't want to add to their burdens.

When I was much younger, I had a job which required me to work in some gritty neighborhoods and/or smaller communities and markets, and to move frequently -- so I learned the fine art of finding quarters in communities where such places often passed by word of mouth. Using what I can from here, I've investigated Burley, Gooding, Hagerman and Jerome to some degree -- don't have too much interest in a "garden apartment" in either Boise or Twin Falls, or sinking a good sum of money into a volatile housing market, and first-floor quarters are strongly recommended for health reasons.

So if anyone can offer any additional insight to my search, it would be appreciated, and thanks in advance.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I consider the medical care in North Idaho to be rather good. However, a person with mobility issues perhaps should not move to a place where a lot of snow must be dealt with for many months of the year. It's not just the clearing of your own driveway and sidewalks, it is dealing with snow and ice in parking lots and on the roads.


There is snow for too long a time period to simply stay indoors until it goes away.


Real estate and rent in Idaho tend to be expensive, although right at the moment, we are all waiting to see what happens with interest rates and the work-from-home being called back to the office. No effects so far on either prices or rent.


Also, the hospitals will service a large area and if you need the hospital you will have to get yourself into the larger cities. You won't find good expansive medical in any of the small villages.

[ejisme]

I assume you can still drive?

Gooding has a nice clinic/hospital, with some limited specialty providers (ortho at least). Boise is about 90 minutes away, and Twin Falls less than an hour. It's a nice small town with all the basic shopping needs (two full grocery stores, nice Ace Hardware for example) and a few nice restaurants. It's close to the mountains, and I'd say generally a nice small town to live in.

Hagerman is much smaller, but still a nice little town that is on or near the Snake River. There is one small grocery store, a small hardware store, and just a few restaurants. I'm not sure they have a medical clinic at all. The closest would likely be something limited in Burly or Filer, and the closest hospital would be in Twin Falls about 45 minutes away.

Jerome is two exits on I84 and is an agricultural, dairy and cheese factory support town. It is bigger than Gooding or Hagerman. It has a super Walmart and is close to Twin Falls, with the hospital about 15 minutes or so away. I haven't spent a lot of time in Jerome as I drive by on the freeway to Twin Falls (or heading home to Mountain Home, ID).

Burley is on the east side of Twin Falls. Is also fair sized for a southern Idaho town. Has a super Walmart too and other shopping and dining options. It may have its own hospital, but Twin Falls has the area medical center, so for major or specialty care you'd likely be going there. Burley has the Snake River running through town. There are back roads into Twin Falls that might be quicker than the freeway, depending on what part of town you live in. The medical center is on the far side of Twin Falls from Burley, so you might be 30 - 45 minutes away.

Good Luck finding your place. Depending on what you are looking for I'd rate the towns as Gooding, Burley, Hagerman, and then Jerome in order of desirability. All four would be pretty safe from major crime. Housing options would be tightest in Hagerman due to its size.