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My former locale was 8-9 miles from a nominal "city" of 22,000 people. It was mostly 5-10 acre residential lots, with a smattering of smallish farms between them. The distance from town meant that what's regarded conventionally as essential services, were in easy supply, if one was willing to drive 15 minutes. But in the immediate environs there was nothing... no fire house, no post office, no gas station... nothing within walking distance, even for an athletic person. So even a very small town, might have essential amenities, if one is right in it... but even a fairly substantial one, is too far unless one is readily willing to drive... if one is not in it.
This exactly describes our former locale. Our small farm was great for our younger years but would have been difficult to maintain once infirmities began to set in.
I agree with you. We live in a very small rural town with one university and a college. As a result, we have so many things one wouldn’t expect in a town with a population of 6000 (not counting students). Our downtown is vibrant; we have lots of independently owned restaurants etc.
right on! this concern on being close to medical care when you retire I dont get it. better to love where you are living then worrying about if something happens. I too hate cities. I wont even go into a close one cause all the people, cars, noise, etc. You cant even hear a bird sing if a bird even exists there. Terrible way to live IMO.
Man, I've read some ignorant comments on the internet , but this takes the cake!
Not sure how old you are, but many people as they age-70s and esp 80s require quality medical care that is accessible and ideally in 10-15 minutes. Cities allow that.
You can't hear a bird sing in a city? do you think every city is just concrete buildings with no nature?
I saw more wildlife when living in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona near a golf course near a major interaction (cars and buildings) than I did living on a rural tree farm on a country road in northern Oregon. I'm talking quail, bunnies, lizards, roadrunners, coyotes, dragonflies, a screech owl high in the trees next to my bedroom window, egrets, cranes, green herons, Canada geese. It was amazing but dang welcome. And yes, NYC has birds! Not just pigeons. Have no idea why someone would think birds don't exist in cities.
Comme ce, Comme ca. To me, live in the city, kill my spirit, face an earlier, miserable death. Live on the ranch and if I trip over a car thru a plate glass door and bleed to death before an ambulance gets close, at least I will go out doing what I like, in my forest.
You would be lucky to die so quickly. You don't want to be treated by someone who isn't up to the task simply because they are local. Most don't die from an accident as you described, they develop chronic situations because of lack of good health care, and don't get the best treatment because travel for high quality things like physical therapy are too far away. Just to mention one example, but there are many others, which why retirement articles take into account quality of healthcare where you will live. Far too often I see people post more about their concern of property taxes than anything else.
right on! this concern on being close to medical care when you retire I dont get it. better to love where you are living then worrying about if something happens. I too hate cities. I wont even go into a close one cause all the people, cars, noise, etc. You cant even hear a bird sing if a bird even exists there. Terrible way to live IMO.
Your concerns are a myth. You don't have to live in a big city to have access to good quality health care, but you do have to take it into consideration and instead of thinking "I'm not going to worry about it". That's the same excuse people use for not planning for retirement to begin with because they don't want to worry about it and will just figure out how to get by when the time comes. Life plays no favorites. But it does favor the prepared and who use critical thinking instead of knee-jerk reactions based on myths.
If you don't care about your health then you won't have anyone to blame but yourself when the times come to "meet the big Engineer in the sky". A small problem, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., could turn into much bigger problems if you don't keep them under controlled.
What actually happens to many people who don't get good health care is they don't get the important preventative care and end up facing a horrible time. It's a myth to think they were be fine and healthy until they keel over and expire. That happens in fictional stories in books, TV shows and movies.
On the subject of small retirement towns, consider the case of the most remote town in the lower 48 - Jarbidge, NV.
During the winter the population dwindles down to about 18, but the summer attracts about 100. The scenery is wonderful.
Anyone think they could handle this!?
right on! this concern on being close to medical care when you retire I dont get it. better to love where you are living then worrying about if something happens.
There is a set of seniors who choose to see one specialist or another every week. They may have 50-75 doctor visits per year. It isn't about "if something happens." It is part of their social life to visit doctors. Their life revolves around doctors appointments.
Your offer is accepted. Please realize, that not all of us are adamant about delaying that big-sky moment. Some of us embrace its coming, with the sincere hope that it's quick, peaceful and painless.
You are sadly mistaken if you believe you can bargain to accept a quick painless death simply because you decided to live in an area without good healthcare. Most people don't die that way, it comes at the end of a chronic situation, but access to better healthcare could have prevented it or made it more tolerable.
I knew a woman who lived in a tiny rural town that died at the age of 67, because of a heart condition. Her family told me she never went to the doctor and wasn't on any medication, because she didn't like the doctor in town, and it was too much to travel outside the area. Her mother who lived to 99 years of age lived elsewhere and had access to good health, and it wasn't in a big city either.
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