Baja California Increases Its Appeal as a Top Choice for North Americans Seeking Quality Senior Living

Miguel Ángel Torres – CEO and co-founder of Serena Senior Care

Every two years, the Serena team updates and compares its prices with the best cost study in the U.S. senior living industry: the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey. This survey, sponsored by Genworth Financial and conducted by their CareScout department, is a key reference in the industry.

For Private Residences for Seniors (Assisted Living Facilities), the survey sample includes 6,183 locations, providing reliable statistics on prices at the national, state, and metropolitan area levels. Serena is a significant player in this category with three residences in Baja California focused on the North American and Hispanic markets. For Geriatric Hospitals (Nursing Homes), the sample included 3,412 units.

Projecting the figures for 2023, we can see in the chart below that the care costs at Serena in the border region of Mexico are vastly lower than those of our northern neighbor for equivalent or superior services. Comparing the annual cost of a private room in Assisted Living at Serena, which is $26,886 USD, it is 159% lower than its equivalent in San Diego, our neighboring city, which is $69,701 USD annually. In other words, $1 USD spent at an average residence in San Diego costs only 39 cents at Serena.

These differences widen when comparing Nursing Home services in both countries: the costs are nearly 3 to 1. It’s worth noting two points: in the U.S., costs are generally heavily subsidized for the first few weeks of stay by Medicare or Medicaid, a situation that does not occur in Mexico. Secondly, Mexican regulations allow medical care services to be offered in the same facility, which is not permitted in most U.S. states. This is why when a patient is discharged from a Nursing Home and requires specialized care, the options in Mexico are highly recommended.

At Serena, we continue to believe that Baja California offers an excellent option for North Americans who want world-class service at prices far lower than those in the U.S., while still maintaining proximity and not losing their healthcare benefits in their home country.

I mention only five factors, in addition to cost, that help explain why I believe the offerings from companies like Serena are currently superior to their U.S. equivalents:

1. A Higher Ratio of Nurses per Resident and Higher Academic Levels of Nursing Staff: There is a greater proportion of licensed nurses (RNs in the U.S.) per shift, who are continuously trained.
2. Similar Levels of Quality in Facilities, Recreational Activities, Social and Cognitive Stimulation Programs, Security Equipment, Food Quality, and Laundry Services.
3. Greater On-Site Medical Supervision: At Serena, residences are supervised by a geriatric physician, a nutritionist, and a team of medical specialists (orthopedists, internists, psychogeriatricians, rehabilitation therapists) who regularly attend to the residents.
4. Mexican Regulations allow us to offer intermediate and advanced nursing services in our facilities and access a wide range of associated medical companies at a lower cost.
5. As Mexicans, Our Genes and Culture Instill Love and Respect for Our Elderly.

For North Americans living on the Baja California coast, home nursing prices are also very attractive. Continuous nursing care (considering a 44-hour week for data comparison) is over 400% cheaper on this side of the border. In other words, what costs $1 USD there costs 20 cents here, with the same levels of service and quality.

Thinking about the long-term care of a loved one is a difficult personal or family decision that involves many factors: selecting the best possible provider with good reputation and experience, location, having a family support network, and financial support to ensure continued access to quality medical services. In a scenario where health care costs in the U.S. continue to rise at rates higher than inflation, looking at what is happening to the lives of seniors at the border is a decision that can offer many benefits.

The author is the CEO and co-founder of Serena Senior Care (www.serenacare.net). With over 15 years of experience, he currently operates four business units: three residences in Tijuana and Rosarito, and a Day Care Center in Tijuana, B.C. In 2021, along with his team, he achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for Serena’s efforts to ensure service quality, which was reaffirmed in 2023. In 2023, he was elected President of SOSEMAF, the main association of residences and service providers for the elderly in the northern border of Mexico.