Which Way Do I Go....In A Wheelchair?

1POSTS

last year

Hi! I am new to the forum and glad to see that there are others who have questions about the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. I have read through a few older post, so I hope there are still some Expats in here that are willing to answer a few questions for me. A little information: I have never been to PR, but I have always loved the culture and island life. My wife and I (lesbian couple) and our teenage niece and our 6 month old fur son will be planning a 2 week trip there in May "2025". This trip will determine if PR will be a good fit for us to relocate due to my unique situation. I am in a power wheelchair. It is imperative that I am in an area that is not only safe crime wise, but also road/sidewalk safe and has ADA compliant stores and restaurants. I have done a lot of research and understand that a generator is a must. I also know that medical care isn't what I may be use to like the mainland. I understand the concept of island time. On our trip I do plan to Airbnb maybe 4 different areas, with the hopes of seeing what may be our best option. We will be coming from Las Vegas, so San Juan's city bustle is what we are use to. I know that touristy areas are more cared for, even here in Vegas (sidewalk repair, crosswalks, public transportation, ect) I only worry about the safety of being able to evacuate in the event of a hurricane. I know the west coast doesn't get hit as bad with hurricane activity, which is a bit more logical with my situation, but I question the infrastructure and the medical availability. We are planning to check out San Juan and another city near it and then Aguadilla and a city near it. Any recommendations? How would you rate the accessibility on the west side of the island vs. the east side? LGBTQ+ friendly areas? Black American friendly areas? Oh, we speak pequeno Espanol...so Spanglish is our go to here in Vegas. So, we don't want to be in area that we must be fluent is Spanish.

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Mermaidmb Active member

90POSTS

last year

I've been here 4 1/2 years in Humacao, we relocated here during pandemic when my husband retired from USPS. I would suggest you stick to metro San Juan area or Bayamon where you are close to major hospitals. There are big communities like Dorado, Palmas del Mar, areas like Rincon, Cabo Rojo that have lots of English-speaking people living there. It depends on your budget & what type of housing you are looking for, most Apts here outside metro area don't have elevators and are walk up. We have lots of typical stores from states, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sams, JC Penney, Macys and chain stores as well as fast food like BK, McDonalds, Wendys, Chick Fil A, Arby's & others. You would think they should be ADA compliant since we are part of US, but I've seen many instances that aren't. It's the same with grocery stores here, you have to be careful and check expiration dates when buying things as I don't think FDA inspects as much over here. I work for a food company in US remotely, so I'm aware of what should be.

If you frequently require specialist care or hospitalization, I wouldn't recommend anywhere outside 1 hour drive to San Juan. The smaller hospitals have visits from specialists from San Juan maybe once or twice a week so you would be waiting a while. I've had it take from 6 to 8 months or more for endodontist or even a cleaning with dentist. I'm lucky I now have a primary doctor who I can email, and they will send medication electronically. Not to pry but if you are on any kind of pain medication, it does not work the same over here. I have chronic back issues with herniated & bulging discs in my back and cannot get same level of medication here as I took in states, try to verify as much as you can with doctor before you move here.

laserjetme54b Member

2POSTS

last year

My wife is licensed lawyer in Puerto Rico and she is in a wheelchair. We would strongly suggest living in near, or in San Juan. The west side on the island is beautiful but services are a bit lagging.