Aid for sick foreigner

[Lodestone]

A friend of my girlfriend has a problem because her American boyfriend (66 years old) is in the hospital and she can't stay with him because of her job. The hospital is telling her that if she can't stay, she needs to find someone who can, but her boyfriend doesn't have anyone else--no family or relatives. Are there any services that can provide this kind of aid? This is in Bangkok. 

[uhuh]

Yes there are,  but expensive.  It would be cheaper to move to a cheap private hospital,  if possible. They usually have what they call special nurse, not so expensive,  doesn't have to be a nurse. 

Or move to general ward,  no company required. 

[Sheryl]

The requirement to have someone stay is usuallt becuase it is a private room in a government hospital.

 

2 choices:

 

Move to a ward, which will also be cheaper (but less  comfortable)  or

 

Transfer to a private hospital. There nursing care is like in the west, no need to have anyone stay with you. In Bangkok less expensive ones would be: St Louis, Bangkok Christian, and Camellian (all non profit). However  these will still be significantly more expensive than the government hospital (3 or 4 times as much if he selects semi private room) so make sure he can afford it. They may ask for a cash deposit upfront.

 

Third possibility would be to ask at the government hospital where he is if the have private duty nurses. Need to locate the nursing office to ask. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Lodestone said:

The hospital is telling her that if she can't stay, she needs to find someone who can,

Move him into the public ward.

It's only private rooms that require a helper.

[Letseng]

I was in a private hospital after my accident. Although they are supposed to look after you, care was rather patchy. It would have been grim without my husband around.

However, the radiology technician (Filipino) asked if I was alone and needed help. There seem to be off duty staff trying to earn a few Baht in addition.  This may be a way to get more affordable help.

[Sheryl]

What hospital was this? I have been hospitalized alone in private hospitals here several times in at least 4 different hospitals over the years  with never a problem. Likewise known many others. 

 

I can assure nursing staff  in the 3 nonprofit hospitals mentioned as well as Bumrungrad, Samitivej, BNH, Sikirin and Bangkok Hospital take proper care of patients and it is quite common for foreigners to be hospitalized in these places alone.

 

Might worry if the person were unconscious or demented but as long as able to call for help when they need it will be fine.

[Suradit69]

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

What hospital was this? I have been hospitalized alone in private hospitals here several times in at least 4 different hospitals over the years  with never a problem. Likewise known many others. 

 

I can assure nursing staff  in the 3 nonprofit hospitals mentioned as well as Bumrungrad, Samitivej, BNH, Sikirin and Bangkok Hospital take proper care of patients and it is quite common for foreigners to be hospitalized in these places alone.

 

Might worry if the person were unconscious or demented but as long as able to call for help when they need it will be fine.

Yes, when I was going to be overnight at Queen Sirikit in a private room I would have needed to have someone stay with me or else go into a ward.

Ended up at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital since Queen Sirikit doctor wanted to postpone surgery. Same person stayed with me, but it wasn't required. Nursing care there was excellent. Definitely more expensive than QS, but well worth it.

[BestB]

Ask nurse how much extra is needed to have the care.

 

one of my staff <deleted> bf got drunk and rode bike, cut story short needed constant care in a public ward .

 

nurses said my staff had to do it, but she could not . Paid nurse/nurses 500 per day and he was looked after 

[swissie]

If in Pattaya: "Father Anthony" and his organisation has done more for Thai's and Farangs in distress than any well funded western, (institualised) NGO ever could have. 

[Letseng]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

What hospital was this? I have been hospitalized alone in private hospitals here several times in at least 4 different hospitals over the years  with never a problem. Likewise known many others. 

 

I can assure nursing staff  in the 3 nonprofit hospitals mentioned as well as Bumrungrad, Samitivej, BNH, Sikirin and Bangkok Hospital take proper care of patients and it is quite common for foreigners to be hospitalized in these places alone.

 

Might worry if the person were unconscious or demented but as long as able to call for help when they need it will be fine.

To answer your question where this was: hospital on Convent Rd. Some days they couldn't be bothered to wash me.

Edited December 31, 2019 by Letseng

[Sheryl]

I've been a patient there, never had a problem. Nor have many others I know of. Most people report excellent nursing care, cal bells answered promptly etc,. Yours is the first report to the contrary I have heard.

[uhuh]

 This one springs to mind, even if it's not so much about nursing care but about doctors.

 

But there are many,  many positive experiences.  BNH caters to the embassies and airlines,  its certainly one of the best hospitals in Thailand,  in terms of doctors as well as nursing care. 

 

Long (eg 45 minutes) waiting times when you press the bell, forgetting to wash a patient... things like this happen in many of Thailand best hospitals. 

Nurses often don't comprehend much English (they are better at speaking) but are too arrogant to admit it (in upcountry Thailand,  a nurse is a respected person feared by the farmers). Plus Thais usually don't understand a healthy farang, what he thinks,  wishes, needs, so it's even more difficult for them to understand a sick specimen of aliens. This makes good care difficult. 

I once ordered a coffee (in Thai) at 7/11, and the smiling staff brought me a tooth brush.  Why it should be any different if the uniform is white?

No wonder a filipino could help.  Filipinos understand farangs much better, the language and the mindset. 

[Langsuan Man]

On 12/31/2019 at 12:25 PM, Sheryl said:

I've been a patient there, never had a problem. Nor have many others I know of. Most people report excellent nursing care, cal bells answered promptly etc,. Yours is the first report to the contrary I have heard.

I was hospitalized there for a severe motor cycle accident and the care from the nursing staff was impeccable , wasn't too thrilled with the surgeon I drew, but nursing was spot on 

[tonray]

5 hours ago, uhuh said:

I once ordered a coffee (in Thai) at 7/11, and the smiling staff brought me a tooth brush

Perhaps you need to work on your tones ...ha ha ha

[Letseng]

On 12/31/2019 at 12:25 PM, Sheryl said:

I've been a patient there, never had a problem. Nor have many others I know of. Most people report excellent nursing care, cal bells answered promptly etc,. Yours is the first report to the contrary I have heard.

They asked me if 5 am was too early to wash? I agreed they could do it. Nobody ever turned up to wash nor was I offered any breakfast. "You didn't order...". I was admitted 6 pm the day before. My husband got me breakfast from outside when he showed up at 11 am.  I needed help to get out of bed to go to the loo.

The nurse's idea was to place a catheter as they are too busy to help every time. Hubby then decided to stay fulltime with me. 

More than once there were incidents were other patients loudly voiced their dissatisfaction about care in the corridor. 

[Isaanbiker]

On 12/28/2019 at 3:41 PM, BritManToo said:

Move him into the public ward.

It's only private rooms that require a helper.

I'd think twice.

 

A Thai doctor at Ubon Sapphasit once told me that they do not have the choice to separate highly dangerous patients with all sorts of diseases, and it would be even dangerous for me as a visitor.

 

  Wearing a mask and washing hands all the time isn't always enough.

 

  In some of these wards, you can see people dying daily, and I don't think that his friend wants to see that all.

 

  But the most significant problems are viruses and bacteria, the invisible killers.

 

  It's always better to minimize the risks. 

 

      

[Sheryl]

42 minutes ago, Letseng said:

They asked me if 5 am was too early to wash? I agreed they could do it. Nobody ever turned up to wash nor was I offered any breakfast. "You didn't order...". I was admitted 6 pm the day before. My husband got me breakfast from outside when he showed up at 11 am.  I needed help to get out of bed to go to the loo.

The nurse's idea was to place a catheter as they are too busy to help every time. Hubby then decided to stay fulltime with me. 

More than once there were incidents were other patients loudly voiced their dissatisfaction about care in the corridor. 

 

Something was unusual there. Perhaps a sudden staff shortage.

 

What you describe is not the norm in that hospital.

 

Not doubting your account, but it is an outlier and not typical of what happens when a patient in the upscale private hospitals in Bangkok.

[Isaanbiker]

OP, perhaps the easiest way would be to ask the nurses, they usually know people who'd do that. 

 

   It could be a friend, a family member, or neighbor.

Stay in your single room for safety reasons. 

[CharlieH]

Troll comment and response removed.

[Lodestone]

Update: He has now died.

 

His health was apparently overall not good, but he had gone to the hospital only because he had fallen. And once examined and x-rayed, the doctors determined he had not seriously injured himself and he was discharged. All other illnesses seemingly overlooked and/or of no concern.

 

So he went back to his room where he died alone.

 

He had been in a very long relationship with a Thai woman with whom he had become semi-separated. Still there were in regular phone contact and she still visited him maybe weekly to care for him as he had difficulty walking.

 

After one of her calls went unanswered for a day, she came up on Monday, Jan 6, from Pattaya, where she owns and runs a small massage shop by herself, and found him in his room, dead for perhaps a day according to police.

 

Before while she visited him in the hospital she complained to him that he had never given her any details about his family, specifically any contact information. With that, he finally told her that he had a brother and gave a phone number.

 

Upon his death she called the brother who said he and the U.S. embassy would handle everything from here, including his effects and assets. She also related how she had long been supported, in particular with help with the rent for her shop. The brother promised her 30,000 baht, but only sent 100 euros. So she's now also in a rather financially desperate situation.