Older adults living in a community, a growing trend
Hello everyone!
Did you know that Mexico has the largest retired population in the world? According to the US embassy, of the 9 million Americans who live outside its territory, 1.5 million are in Mexico. The Mexican Association of Retirement Assistance (AMAR) agrees with these data, which also estimates an annual economic benefit of 19.5 billion dollars derived from said population.
The AMAR indicates that the expectations for 2030 are to have 2 million retirees and an income of 30,000 million dollars per year, and if this forecast materializes, the retirement assistance industry would be the third most important source of foreign exchange in Mexico. .
I have started my column with these hard data because I want to emphasize a topic that is already a global trend: that of older adults living in a community, a concept that was born in Denmark more than a decade ago and has become very popular. because unlike traditional nursing homes, it offers care, attention, and most importantly, stimulation to residents.
The most remarkable thing is that an entire industry focused on the elderly segment has emerged around these communities, who will require multiple services and attention, representing an excellent market niche for the destinations that host them.
It is here that I would like to mention the great opportunity that Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit have before them, two destinations that are characterized by their increasingly growing population of retirees from the United States and Canada, something that began with the so-called “snowbirds”, which are the tourists who travel each year from the United States and Canada in search of warm places to spend the winter. At first, these travelers only came on vacation, for a short time; then they extended their stay ─generally from November to April, which are the months when winter is harshest in their countries─ until they ended up staying and forming one of the most important expatriate communities in the Mexican Pacific region.
Currently, many of these retirees have already acquired some property, have businesses and have fully integrated into the community, supporting cultural and environmental projects. However, some of the localities in which they reside are not friendly to older adults, taking into account that, in the coming years, the vast majority of them will be over 65 years old. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could live in a place according to their needs, under the care of specialized personnel supporting them in their daily activities?
Therefore, I believe it is time to think about the future, to promote friendly destinations and start planning those retirement communities (which are not asylums), ideal for those older adults who seek to live in the company of family or friends. in their same circumstances, maintaining their privacy and independence, but, above all, preserving their security.
What do you think? Send me your comments.
