Recovery House Considerations

Sometimes when people go on vacation they fall in love with the their chosen destination, that is especially true with the Dominican Republic. With the natural beauty here along with all the economic opportunities it’s easy to see why so many people want to return.

The natural beauty of the Dominican Republic is enough to make anyone want to stay!

In the past I have discussed the economic opportunities that are here, along with medical tourism on the rise in the Dominican Republic. I wanted to share with everyone some considerations to think about before you decide to open a Recovery House.

1. Location. How close to the surgical clinic/clinics are you? How many of the surgical clinics are in your area? How many Recovery Houses are in the same area as you?

*Do patients that decide to use your Recovery House have to use an elevator? OR use stairs? This can turn into something of a nightmare (stairs) for the patients and needs to be considered.*

2. Doctors. You have to network with the doctors and build relationships with them so they recommend your Recovery House. This takes time, and might not always be free.

3. Costs. There are a multitude of costs that go into get purchasing a property to be used as a Recovery House. You have the listed price of the property, the lawyers fee, the transfer costs, and taxes, then cost of renovating the facility.

4. Operating Costs. Cost for food, laundry, staff, driver, Insurance? Electrical and gas bill? Cost of a maid to clean the whole facility?

5. Continuing Relationships. Networking with the doctors isn’t a 1 time thing, you are going to have to keep in touch with them and build the relationship. You want to be in the front of their mind so they tell people to use your Recovery House.

6. Marketing. Constant advertising on Facebook/Instagram and in groups for women coming down to the Dominican Republic for surgery. Running video ads, have a website with positive reviews, etc… Who is going to take care of the advertising? You? Or will you pay a social media expert to handle everything? That is another cost you need to consider.

So there are 6 things in a nutshell that you need to consider. There is a TON of research & costs that goes into opening one of these from scratch so be aware of it all.  

*Bonus Considerations*

1. Do you want to start your own Recovery House from scratch or buy one that already has a proven system in place?
2. Transportation. Who is transporting the patients from the clinic to the Recovery House? Who is taking them from the Recovery House to the airport? Finding a driver and coordinating with them is something else that ends up being your responsibility.

Starting your own recovery home in the Dominican Republic can be satisfying but intensive work. Get in touch with us if you have any questions.

Wait….do you speak any Spanish? If not you must have someone around that is bilingual.

As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to us!