Elderly woman chained up in Chachoengsao to stop her wandering

By THE NATION

 

 

An 83-year-old Chachoengsao woman seen in a video online chained in place at the ankle has been freed.

 

The woman identified only as Grandma Chuam apparently suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and had been secured to prevent her wandering from her home.

 

 

Her stepsister Wimol, 65 (surname withheld by the authorities), who shares the house in Moo 6, Phanom Sarakham district, had arranged for a young neighbour to watch over Chuam while she went out on an errand.

The man, alarmed by the scene, took several videos as he attempted to free her and posted the clips on Facebook on Wednesday.

 

Within the first 19 hours, one of the clips had been viewed 1.98 million times, drawn 19,000 reactions and been shared 53,000 times.

 

District chief Thitirat Sangngam was at the house at 9am on Thursday and learned from Wimol that Chuam had no children and was suffering from dementia, often wandering off outside.

 

Late last year Chuam was found sitting in the middle of a rice field amid heavy rain.

 

Thitirat said authorities would replace the house’s missing door and add a room where Chuam could stay secure without the need for chains.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30342530

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-07

And this happens while many who should be shackled and chained in this country (those stealing from the poor, enjoy illegal hunting, lying about their unusual wealth, and cheating an entire nation with hollow promises) go scot free.

This is heartbreaking. One of the saddest things I've ever seen. I'm ashamed to be a member of the same species

 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thitirat said authorities would replace the house’s missing door and add a room where Chuam could stay secure without the need for chains.

So locking her up then ? 

Maybe she could be given, free, one of those tracker wrist bands which the Thai tourist bigwigs wanted foreign tourists to wear.

Horrible thing to happen

However in places like the uk, Oz and usa it is not uncommon for adult children to 'dump' their elderly infirm parents, grandparents etc in hospitals. Adult children are  the main perpetrators of fraud on parents by eg  having their parents sign away their savings and property to sate the avarice of lazy children.

Every country not just thailand could and should do better when it comes to treating the elderly with compassion and respect 

For poor people its real hard to care for their elderly, this woman could be a danger to herself. A better option would of course be to have her in a locked room with more comfort, not chained up like an animal.

 

Just imagine if the lady wonders off and does not get found again.. can't help herself. The family and this lady would be off worse. This certainly does not deserve any awards and a safe room would be better, but poor people sometimes can't do better.