May 30, 2026
The price of long-term care has become a nightmare. AARP data shows these costs keep climbing far faster than inflation, putting more American seniors and their loved ones in a scary financial situation (1).
But there is a trending solution to this dilemma that doesn't involve tips like "spending down" for Medicaid. Instead, some families are opting out of U.S. healthcare entirely and moving to Mexico.
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A recent profile in Business Insider illustrates this increasingly common strategy. The story followed Anja Helmon, 56, and her 86-year-old mother, Gladys Wase. Ever since Wase's dementia diagnosis, Helmon's sister took care of her in Ohio — until Wase nearly pushed her down a flight of stairs. After that extreme episode, both sisters knew this arrangement wasn't going to work, but they weren't sure where to bring their mom (2).
Helmon happened to be in Mexico on a trip looking for a retirement home, and she noticed that many of the care facilities cost about $1,000 per month. By contrast, private rooms in Ohio nursing homes were over $8,000 per month. In-home care was even more ridiculous at nearly $17,000 a month.
So, Helmon started devising her plan. First, she brought her mother to a nursing home in Ohio that cost $6,000 per month. In the meantime, Helmon and her husband relocated to the coastal city Manzanillo. Once Helmon got settled, she arranged to bring her mom to a nearby facility with 24/7 care for about $2,000 per month.
Helmon admitted she had some misgivings about this Mexico move, telling Business Insider that her "biggest fear was that I was making a mistake, that this was not what she wanted."
Today, however, Helmon seems satisfied with the care her mom is getting, which includes regular exercise and dance classes. "She really is happy, which is crazy," Helmon told Business Insider.
How expensive is getting old in America?
A quick look at the latest numbers for long-term care helps explain why more families like Helmon's are looking abroad. Although there's variation across states, the American Council on Aging reports that the average annual cost of a shared room in a nursing home is $119,340 (3). As for assisted living, SeniorLiving.org estimates the current average is about $75,756 per year (4).
And data from AARP shows this uptrend has been going on for years. Between 2019 and 2024, the cost of home health and assisted living jumped 50%, while the cost of nursing homes rose 22-25% (5).
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So, even if retirees were diligent about saving for their golden years, that's rarely enough to cover these steep costs (unless they had long-term health insurance years ago). Medicare can't offer much help since it only covers short-term rehab (6) or skilled nursing (7) after hospitalization.
But the need for these services has never been higher. In fact, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) estimates 70% of adults over 65 will need "severe" long-term care at some point (8).
Purely from an economic perspective, it makes sense why Americans feel forced to flee. Although Mexico offers a viable solution, there are challenges to making long-term care here a reality.
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The hurdles to long-term care in Mexico
A major barrier Business Insider's piece brought up is immigration.
Filing the proper paperwork is complex enough in good health. But when seniors like Gladys Wase have conditions like dementia, it's even more challenging (9).
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As Helmon told Business Insider, her mother couldn't do the most basic requirements for immigration like signing her name. Thankfully, immigration authorities accepted Wase's fingerprint in lieu of a signature to grant her temporary residency (10).
But in cases where officials aren't as flexible, families are taking more drastic measures. As Business Insider reported, some Americans use tourist visas to bring their parents into Mexico. After the visa expires, they simply keep that fact quiet as their parents stay for the rest of their lives (11).
The financial need is obviously driving more Americans to take these rash moves, but it's risky to rush into cross-border care.
If possible, start conversations and planning around long-term care before any serious medical conditions arise. That way, you can act with a clear head even in stressful moments.
For those who feel a move to Mexico may make sense, it's worth visiting different communities early and touring facilities in person. Spending time on the ground will give you a better understanding of how healthcare works and daily life before making any long-term commitments.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
AARP (1),(5); Business Insider (2),(9),(10),(11); Medicaid Planning Assistance (3); SeniorLiving.org (4); Medicare (6),(7); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (8)
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Eric Esposito is a freelance contributor on MoneyWise who loves making financial topics accessible and understandable to readers. In addition to MoneyWise, Eric’s work can be found in publications such as WallStreetZen and CoinDesk.
