My mom retired to Spain for a better quality of life. I didn't know it would include me moving with her.

• My mom moved from the US to Andalusia, Spain, after retiring.
• We haven't had to pay more than $3 for prescriptions and never receive bills from doctors.

At 40, I rerouted a Los Angeles-based writing career to join my 73-year-old mother in a village in southern Spain. While she and I have always been close, we tend to argue about everyday things. Moving with my partner to a foreign country to be with her was a personal and professional risk, even as a temporary arrangement.

I saw the benefit of living in a country that values its elderly population

A report called "Filling the Geriatric Gap" estimated that nearly one in five Americans would be over the age of 65 between 2010 and 2030. The author posed an important question, "Is the US health system prepared for an aging population?"

The question remained relevant in 1998, as my mother was retiring at the age of 60 as the president of an art college in Philadelphia and had decided to branch out as a consultant for international programs. Her pension and some small investments would serve as income until she could take her Social Security distribution.

She had an opportunity to time-share a house in Andalusia, and in 1998 that turned into her packing up and leaving the US entirely. I don't remember speaking with her about this decision. I'm her only child, and I hadn't considered the logistics of traveling overseas to see her.

The move was permanent for her. My partner and I spent a couple of years traveling between LA and Spain, but finally decided to settle in Spain. For us, the move is also permanent. We all live in the same property but in different houses.

I worried about her in a foreign country alone

Spain's National Health System is based on the principles of "universality, free access, equity, and fairness of financing" and covers 99.1% of the population, the World Health Organization's website says. As a legal resident, my mother relies on this resource like any Spanish-born citizen.

When something feels off, we go to the "consultorio" — a local medical center where she speaks to a doctor about her medications or other health concerns. We pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy using her medical card and pay no more than $2 or $3 a visit.

If she requires a specialist, the consultorio puts in a request for an appointment. In an emergency, we would be sent to the hospital, where her information would already be in the system for admittance and treatment.

We have never received a bill for a doctor, MRI, or other diagnostic service or hospital visit

Andalusian culture values its aging citizens. At every social event, grandparents are as engaged in the festivities as anyone else. When my mother's cane falls to the ground, at least two people go out of their way to pick it up. Shopkeepers are patient as she methodically puts her money in her wallet. The bus driver gets out of his seat to help her with the stairs. Neighbors stop in to talk about her artwork. In town, I'm routinely asked, "How is your mother?"

I rarely worry about her, which is important as a freelance writer working remotely

While my mother had a successful career and financial resources, I doubt she would have had the same quality of life if she had stayed in the US. She falls into what AARP calls "the gigantic middle", Americans whose resources make them ineligible for Medicaid but are not wealthy enough to sustain the long-term, ongoing costs of healthcare as they age. In Spain, my mother lives well on her monthly Social Security payments thanks to the universal healthcare system, and I'm able to make sure she has fruitful golden years as my mother and friend.

Michelle Cutler is an essayist and screenwriter based in southern Spain with her partner, mother, and dog, Ragazzo.