Bringing Mom Home or Finding Her a Home: A Couple Weighs Both
The three cost different amounts because they are three different services.
Picture a couple named Abel, 70, and Corinne, 68. They live in Mexico. Abel's mother is 90 and lives alone in Ohio. She now needs someone near her at all hours, and the family has three options to weigh.
Corinne drew up a page. She used example figures from public sources, so the numbers on it are for comparing, and none is an offer.
| Option | Example monthly figure | What it may mean |
|---|---|---|
| A memory care unit or assisted living near her in Ohio | About US$6,200 for assisted living and US$6,700 for memory care (US national medians) | Shared staff, meals and activities. Extras may be added to the price |
| A round-the-clock team in shifts at their home in Mexico | About US$6,700 (one family's reported price of 2,000 pesos a 12-hour shift, two shifts a day, 30 days, at about 18 pesos to the dollar) | Someone awake at all times. Agency-type pricing |
| One live-in helper hired directly, at their home in Mexico | About US$1,000 to US$1,800 (price pages report this as the total cost to the employer) | One person. Rest, days off and night cover need a plan |
For comparison, one caregiver around the clock in the United States, at the national median of US$35 an hour, comes to US$25,200 for 30 days.
"Which one costs the least?" Corinne asked.
"The live-in helper," Abel said. "Which one is the same as another? None of them."
She nodded. The three cost different amounts because they are three different services. A team in shifts looks after one person. A facility's staff look after many. A single live-in helper is one person who also needs sleep.
Some costs sit outside the table. Medicare does not pay for care when it is only custodial, and it generally does not cover care outside the United States, so the family would likely pay. Moving her to Mexico also means leaving her friends, her doctor and the language she knows.
"There is a question none of the quotes answers," Corinne said. "What does your mother want?"
Abel called her that evening. He did not ask which she preferred. He asked what a good day looked like for her. They planned a trip to Ohio to talk with her in person and to visit two places together.
You could…
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Ask each option for a written quote, and for the list of what it includes.
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Ask your parent what a good day looks like before you show any numbers.
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Check with an accountant or lawyer who works with Americans abroad about any paperwork and costs that cross a border.
What did the three quotes in your family look like side by side? Share it here. Someone reading may be holding a similar page.
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. All figures in the table are examples. Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025; A Place for Mom; Cuantomecuesta.com (Mexico caregiver prices, May 2026); exchange rate from Xe, October 2026; Medicare.gov; Cochrane review CD009844.
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