Seeking advice - rural retirement but not far from hospitals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Upper Valley. You have Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital right there and actual retirement communities, but can live just 10 minutes away and in the middle of nowhere. It’s also easy to pick a tax/property situation that suits your needs because it’s right on the VT/NH border.

Seconding this! Also, if there’s ever a reason to go to Boston, it’s a straight shot of 120 miles / 2 hours to downtown Boston.

[Anonymous]

Braselton GA
North Ga
Forsyth and Hall counties GA

[Anonymous]

We live in rural-ish Delaware Co, PA. There are a lot of horse farms and you can get land (although it’s not always cheap). We live in very quiet woods but are still 9 mins from Costco and Whole Foods. Close to a number of hospitals, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look near Roanoke, VA. Carillion Clinic and Hospital there is good.

Depends on your definition of good. I was a patient there and elected to drive to UVA for an amnio after they told me their stats are blended with the national average. Only one reason to blend...

But of course retired people don’t need prenatal care

[Anonymous]

Winchester VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live on 12 acres outside Santa Fe. Two hospitals and multiple urgent cares are a minute drive. Emergency services typically respond in under 7 minutes.

Santa Fe!!!

I've been thinking about this. Can you tell me more? What's it like? Your neighbors? When did you move there? Do you work? What can you tell me? Is it easy to make friends?


I have so many questions.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Emergency healthcare poster here. OP you want to be not just near a hospital. The goal for the retirement years is a cath lab and a certified stroke center within 20 minutes in all weather.

Any hospital can stabilize a broken wrist, and something like oncology can easily be a planned, regularly scheduled drive. But it’s those level I stroke and cardiac response facilities that make me difference between many more quality years vs. a handful debilitated years in rehab+nursing home then the end.

Side note: don’t count on mediVac. Especially in snowy (NH) and snowy mountainous (WV, NM) climates. They won’t risk the flight staff’s life for a stroke response (but might for a catastrophic pediatric trauma)

How realistic is that if you don't live in a big city? I'm actually being serious, not snarky. And the issue with big cities is the gridlock. They won't lifelight you for a stroke, and they can't get through the gridlock in 20 minutes, even inside the beltway. This I've seen firsthand. So is that a smallish city? Do you have suggestions, or is there a good way to look it up?

[Anonymous]

Try South Jersey. Lots of rural land, and not too far from Philadelphia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper Valley. You have Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital right there and actual retirement communities, but can live just 10 minutes away and in the middle of nowhere. It’s also easy to pick a tax/property situation that suits your needs because it’s right on the VT/NH border.

Seconding this! Also, if there’s ever a reason to go to Boston, it’s a straight shot of 120 miles / 2 hours to downtown Boston.

This was my first thought too. It's the perfect combination of rural with access to medical services and some cultural aspects due to the college, and not too far from a major city with top tier medical facilities. Lebanon NH has an airport with commuter flights so you don't have to drive to Boston to fly elsewhere. It's about the same distance to Hartford-Springfield airport as to Boston as well. Of course you have to like cold winters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Upper Valley. You have Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital right there and actual retirement communities, but can live just 10 minutes away and in the middle of nowhere. It’s also easy to pick a tax/property situation that suits your needs because it’s right on the VT/NH border.

Seconding this! Also, if there’s ever a reason to go to Boston, it’s a straight shot of 120 miles / 2 hours to downtown Boston.

This was my first thought too. It's the perfect combination of rural with access to medical services and some cultural aspects due to the college, and not too far from a major city with top tier medical facilities. Lebanon NH has an airport with commuter flights so you don't have to drive to Boston to fly elsewhere. It's about the same distance to Hartford-Springfield airport as to Boston as well. Of course you have to like cold winters.

I was going to say the same thing. I;m sure there are also nice rural places near the Mayo Clinic, but I don't know what they are.

[Anonymous]

Rochester, NY is known for it's excellent health care, and there are many beautiful rural communities far less than an hour away.

Rush, NY is the first to come to mind, but places like Caledonia and York are equally beautiful and outside Monroe County (so lower local taxes). You'd also want to take a look at the areas around the Finger Lakes. It's gorgeous there! Around Livonia you have Letchworth State Park, plus the lakes, and it's remarkably close to Geneseo, which may have offshoot health care from the University of Rochester system or good providers and services of their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Emergency healthcare poster here. OP you want to be not just near a hospital. The goal for the retirement years is a cath lab and a certified stroke center within 20 minutes in all weather.

Any hospital can stabilize a broken wrist, and something like oncology can easily be a planned, regularly scheduled drive. But it’s those level I stroke and cardiac response facilities that make me difference between many more quality years vs. a handful debilitated years in rehab+nursing home then the end.

Side note: don’t count on mediVac. Especially in snowy (NH) and snowy mountainous (WV, NM) climates. They won’t risk the flight staff’s life for a stroke response (but might for a catastrophic pediatric trauma)

How realistic is that if you don't live in a big city? I'm actually being serious, not snarky. And the issue with big cities is the gridlock. They won't lifelight you for a stroke, and they can't get through the gridlock in 20 minutes, even inside the beltway. This I've seen firsthand. So is that a smallish city? Do you have suggestions, or is there a good way to look it up?

Look, life is about living. If you find a place you love, it is fine to be a little farther from a hospital and take your chances. Not everything is helped by being near great medical care. Both my parents live just blocks from some of the best hospitals in the world (with several relatives who are prominent doctors at those hospitals) and it didn't help either of them.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you should plan to grow elderly and infirm on acreage...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you should plan to grow elderly and infirm on acreage...

I was just about to say this too. Acreage is WORK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try South Jersey. Lots of rural land, and not too far from Philadelphia.

Rural South Jersey might as well be rural Alabama. I grew up there. It's a backwater full of uneducated and uninformed Trump voters. It's a terrible place to live.