Dementia sufferers

[JIM LAWBAUGH]

My wife is wheel chair bound and suffers from Lewy Body Dementia, would this keep us from moving to Panama?

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Jim,

That’s a broad question. Are you wondering about how this may affect your residence application? About wheelchair infrastructure (ramps etc?) About cultural attitudes? About hiring in-home care?

Generally conditions that are non-communicable will not be a problem for you when applying for legal residence, but if you’re wondering about this you can double check with a Panama attorney (see the Rolodex section of this website).

If you are wondering about infrastructure: then I would say most of Latin America, including Panama, unfortunately, is not as advanced as the U.S. or North/Western Europe when it comes to facilitating life for the wheelchair bound and any other special needs. We don’t have those beeping traffic lights or brail signs for the blind, buildings in the city tend to be up to code with ramps but sidewalks, driveways, and streets are not, and can be treacherous. Store entrances have ramps and reserved parking is always nearby but sometimes cars cannot pull up as close as they should in order to stop and drop off someone who may be slow-moving due to a loss of mobility.

Culturally, Panamanians are generally very gracious and helpful with anyone needing assistance. At least, in my experience, people always went out of their way to help my father as he began to require assistance, and later use a walker/scooter. We were allowed to park in no-park zones, that sort of thing, when we needed to get him close to an entrance. That said you can apply for a wheelchair user sign for your car and gain access to special parking. Finding special parking and ramps is probably easier in Panama City which is more modern.

Assisted living facilities that I know of in Panama are low-end ones for low-income families. Middle class and up in Panama tends to opt for in-home care, which is very inexpensive. Typically the relative needing the care will live with his or her family, and the family will hire a helper or nurse to live-in or come daily or weekly, whatever is needed.

To a certain extent everything depends on which area in Panama you are interested in and how mobile you’ll need to be when with your wife.

Hope that helps. Let us know if we did not answer your question.

Regards,

[Author]

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