AMAR, the Mexican Association of Retirement Communities (Asociacion Mexicana de Asistencia en el Retiro), is hosting AMAR’s International Convention 2014 at Rosarita Beach Hotel, Rosarita Beach, Baja California, October 23-25, for North American and Mexican senior housing industry professionals and the public. Rosarito Beach is 20 miles south of San Diego, CA in Mexico.
The event focus, part of a continuing dialogue, is how to attract a portion of North American Baby Boomers over the coming years to senior-friendly, affordable destinations in Mexico with ideal weather, health services, infrastructure, and proximity to the U.S. It is anticipated that of 100 million boomers in Canada and the U.S., 4 million will consider living in Mexico. According to Internet statistics, there are currently 1,400,000 to 1,600,000 U.S. citizens living in Mexico, not all retirees.
Experienced Canadian and U.S. senior living developers, operators, and executives will meet to discuss collaboration possibilities with Mexican developers and investors.
Among the 22 scheduled speakers are Americans Martin Lakatos, VP and developer for California based Front Porch Development Company; Patricia Will, CEO of Belmont Village Senior Living (23 Assisted Living properties across the U.S. and one in development in Mexico City); and Matthew J. Downs of the Center for Medicare Portability. Javier Govi, Founder & CEO of AMAR; Ignacio Bernal of FONATUR (a Mexican government entity which plans and develops top tourist destinations); and Rodrigo Contreras Mejia of PROMEXICO (a Mexican government trust for international trade and investment) will be among the speakers from Mexico.
Subjects will include elements for successful operation of CCRC’s, active senior living, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care with holistic/wellness-based concepts, eco-friendly LEED-certified construction, universal design, and health information technology. Topics will also include the state of MOM and POP projects, aging in place communities where services come to you, and Medicare in Mexico. (Medicare is not yet accessible outside the U.S. unless under rare circumstances. American seniors can purchase Medigap emergency plans C, D, F, G, M, or N with a $250 deductible).
When asked about the current state of senior living and its future in Mexico, AMAR’s Javier Govi stated, “We currently cater to the mom and pop market, the parents of baby boomers. We are simultaneously transitioning to meet the needs of boomers who have begun to retire. We have spent years studying this market, looking at the history, and visualizing the future. The important components for boomers will be wellness, fitness, and a holistic approach.”
An adjunct part of the event is the 50+ Expo and Workshops for Healthy Living where the public can learn about senior living options in Mexico.
AMAR Friends Foundation, which helps retirees find independent or assisted living in Mexico, is sponsoring the 50+ Expo. Seminars are designed “to answer questions from banking to moving belongings, and what is involved in obtaining a residential visa,” added Govi. The expo also includes product displays and music. The foundation will soon be providing social service projects for poor elderly Mexicans through its North American volunteers. See http://www.amarfriends.org.
AMAR, founded in 2007, is the first national Mexican non-profit organization committed to educate and collaborate with Mexican government regulatory agencies and business executives in Mexico and North America on the potential of the senior housing industry in Mexico.
For more information on the event go to http://www.amar.org.mx, write info@amar.org.mx, or call San Diego, CA number (619)564-4007.
Wellness Shepherd 