Rest, Retirement And Urgent Care In Arizona

While searching around and trying to determine the best places to retire, I found an interesting article that gave me significant pause.  It listed several unique places and explained exactly why they would be perfect for post-retirement life. The list included some very popular as well as little known places which ranged from large international cities, to sea-side resorts in small countries.  However, what struck me as most curious was that not one of these “best retirement locations” was in the United States. I was quite surprised and a bit annoyed at the author for ignoring this country which has taken great pains to cater to the needs of its growing population.  Including recently undergoing massive healthcare reforms designed to boost the present healthcare system and medical technology.  It’s well acknowledged that our country can make improvements in our healthcare system, but we are still among the best in the world and are still at the forefront of medical breakthroughs.  These reforms are intended to bring even better healthcare facilities to the country’s ailing and aging population. The article that ranked the best places to retire gave seemingly little weight to available public health services and the medical facilities needed to address the needs of the aged.  As I get older, I find these things to be of ever increasing importance, and I’m sure others of my generation would agree.  Looking out my backdoor to see the beach won’t mean much if I don’t have my health to enjoy it. In spite of the lack of attention given to health care needs, I did appreciate the idea behind the author’s article and his attempt to use an analytical and logical way of assessing a proper retirement destination.

According to the 2010 US Census, the 65 years and older agegroup represents 13% of the U.S. population, that is, about one in every eightAmericans.  And, it is estimated that by 2030, there will be about 72.1 million people in this age demographic, which is more than doubling the number in 2000. Since I am about to join that club of senior citizens, I decided to sit down and evaluate my choices of places to settle into post-retirement life.  This is when I found the article referenced above, but I wanted something a bit more local.  I was interested to discover if there is a place that has unique health care facilities available, such as a good range of specialists or urgent care centers for those times when you just can’t wait to see a doctor.  But I also want to enjoy my retirement, so other essential characteristics such as the local weather, cost of living, cultural programs, housing availability, public utilities, sports facilities and the overall safety were exceedingly important. When I take all these factors into account, Arizona seemed to be a perfect fit. And apparently I’m not alone, as it seems an ever larger group of seniors are choosing Arizona as their home for their golden years making it one the most sought after states for all variety of retirement communities. 

There are several specific things that attracted me and others to Arizona, but one of the most important is Lake Mead.  Its pinwheel shape is surrounded by the combination of pink desert and lush green land making it a truly beautiful spectacle.  You can also indulge in a lot of other activities, thanks to Hoover Dam and the various sporting activities on the lake, such as boating and fishing for all kinds of fish including largemouth bass, striped bass, carp channel catfish, crapple and sunfish.  The vast surrounding scenery which includes gigantic dams, sprawling lakes, deserts, and mountains will quickly capture your imagination and help you forget the worries and agonies of your “working years” and live a contented life.  

If you consider Arizona’s climate, population trends, job opportunities, schooling, living costs, taxes, economic trends, medical facilities and state laws, it becomes perfectly clear why it tops many best places to retire lists. And with regards to the ever important medical or healthcare facilities in Arizona, you will find a large number of emergency rooms, walk-in clinics, in-store health care clinics, primary doctors, urgent care centers and all kinds of specialties to cater to all of your urgent medical needs.  The nature and frequency of the medical needs of our older generation is quite different and we need to make sure we’re located near facilities that can handle those needs. Blood pressure, sugar level, weight management and lots of other issues become more important as we age. Arizona not only has the doctors and specialists available for those needs, but if I need an appointment quickly, they have an abundant selection of urgent care centers in Arizona available to provide care. All of these factors make me quite comfortable in my choice to move to Arizona and enjoy the rest of my life.