Is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a model for some of us in our old age?

After an evening of killing Ottomans, Chinese and Russians - I'm playing as the Portuguese at Civilisation III - I locked up the office and found Ros in the living room, watching "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" on the television. And, as it is a movie that has a happy ending (I do like a happy ending), I sat with her for the last section.

But I was moved to wonder whether or not it is a model that might have some basis in credibility. After all, anyone over the age of fifty is likely to be wondering how they will fend for themselves as old age reaches out towards them.

One hears how much care homes cost these days, amounts that never get smaller, and note that care homes are increasingly staffed by people coming to this country from overseas - I assume that Theresa May isn't planning to get old and infirm - and find myself wondering whether or not it might be easier to just simplify matters by retiring somewhere with lower labour costs, better weather and suitable provision.

In my days travelling on Democrats Abroad business, one thing I noticed was that, particularly in Mexico, there were a number of communities made up almost entirely of retired Americans and Canadians, seeking warmer, drier weather, access to cheap medication and lower nursing costs and, until now, I hadn't thought much about it. But, when one considers it, why not? On the same income as you would have in Europe of North America, you can have a larger home, someone to clean and/or cook and, if you pick sensibly, better weather. In all likelihood, you'd even have money left over.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not proposing sending Granny to Ahmedabad or Mysore as a matter of public policy, but it does surprise me that someone hasn't thought about this and put together a package. Perhaps, for all I know, somebody has.

Given the increasing crisis in care for the elderly, we may have to become increasingly creative in terms of the solutions, especially given Conservative determination to reduce the flow of migrants to a relative trickle, regardless of the effects. Costs spiral, whilst pressure on staff increases and quality inevitably suffers. Add to that an ageing population generally, and the scale of the problem becomes apparent.

So, just a thought on a Bank Holiday weekend. It's amazing how a slightly enhanced sense of one's own mortality sets you to thinking...