Would YOU send a loved one to live in a care home 6,000 miles away in Thailand?

[webfact]

John Higgins at the Care Resort Chiang Mai in northern Thailand; a British-run facility which caters for hotel guests as well as the elderly

 

Would YOU send a loved one to live in a care home 6,000 miles away in Thailand? It may sound callous, until you read about the £42,000-a-year, 5-star service in the sun and loving attention of staff (at a fraction of UK costs)

 

• A growing number of Brits are sending loved ones to care resorts in Thailand 
• Residents at Care Resort Chiang Mai in Thailand enjoy good weather and care
• The average UK residential nursing home costs nearly £50,000 a year or more
• Rates at Care Resort Chiang Mai, with 48 full-time carers, start at £1,100 a month

 

By BARBARA DAVIES FOR THE DAILY MAIL

 

Thousands of miles away from the depths of the murky British winter, the view from the patio of Mary Inman's villa in Thailand is beautiful indeed.

 

Luscious gardens replete with fragrant flowers and birdsong, two glistening swimming pools; anyone watching the 83-year-old sitting outside in the evening sunshine might think she was enjoying a five-star holiday.

 

But Mary, who has severe dementia and needs round-the-clock care, is one of a small but growing number of elderly Britons being sent halfway around the world by families who have turned their backs on the UK's beleaguered, expensive care system and embraced the care 'resorts' that have sprung up across Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10404681/Would-send-loved-one-live-care-home-6-000-miles-away-Thailand.html

 

-- © Copyright DAILY MAIL 2022-01-15

 

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[mtls2005]

No.

 

Would consider an ice floe well before this option.

 

 

[Captain Monday]

Yes. Half ready to check in one myself

[ezzra]

That will put a whole new meaning of definition on the phrase "loved one" wouldn't now?...

[jimgilly]

My answer is a definite NO!   Why would anybody select Chiang Mai as a location for the elderly who obviously have a number of health conditions and now they get to deal with severe pollution for 4 to 5 months a year?  Totally illogical and people should be forewarned of this before making such a big decision. 

[sungod]

Few thousand baht of lady drinks in the TQ got me all the 'care' I needed.

[PJPom]

Retirement in Thailand nursing home has often been featured in Australia with very positive views. 
The Australian retirement industry, and I use the term industry correctly is rife with horror tales. Staff are quite well paid but the training and selection is very low quality, it is a thankless job and of course the inmates suffer.

Families are today not as close knit as in the past, selling the family home when Mum or Dad dies releases a lot of capital and putting the parent in a home seems to be a simple solution.

I have had personal experience of retirement homes as my late partner was one of the few qualified staff in a large complex in Queensland, the working conditions were totally unacceptable.

As medication Nurse she had to administer tablets twice a shift to sixty patients, this is not a simple job with dementia patients who had to be coaxed to take their essential medications. I actually worked out that she had less than a minute per patient to ensure their compliance and no time to socialise or listen to them.

We submitted the figures to management and was told that was her job, she was not a social worker, she finally left after nearly having a breakdown.

To those who know the Australian retirement village scene I am sure that Thailand with all its faults certainly rates much higher in compassion and the human factor , something that sometimes has to replace the family you rarely see.

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Would YOU send a loved one to live in a care home 6,000 miles away in Thailand? It may sound callous, until you read about the £42,000-a-year, 5-star service in the sun and loving attention of staff (at a fraction of UK costs)

That's expensive, the care home in Chiang Mai (Ban Lalisa) has prices starting from 25Kbht/month (shared room). That's around 6,000 pounds/year.

https://www.facebook.com/baannlalisa/photos/pcb.1106118193476666/1106113656810453

 

Really nice place, swimming pool, nice gardens

[khunPer]

The subject has been up before about elder Swedish people. Knowing how bad the elder care situation has become in some European countries, it might be a great option, might even be cheaper for governments to offer luxury care in Thailand than domestic care lacking a reasonable service level.

 

I'm hoping never to need to return to my Danish home country and end up in an old folks care home. And when I read about how it is for many old people now in Denmark, I'm even more convinced. If staying in your own home, you can a few hour help, not per day, but in a week. In a care home relatives complains that the old family members only get a bath once a week, and might not even be helped to toilet, they can just use their senior diapers as there is not enough staff. There has been a number of horror stories in the news documented by relative's videos.

 

Danes are the highed taxed popultation in the World; when working hard during a long life and paying your taxes, then this is what one get from your not only your tax money, they also use your retirement pension to pay for it. It you can afford private care as described in the article in for example Thailand, it's really worth considering, you would hardly get anything just close to it for the equivalent of £33,600 in Denmark compared to the example mentioned in the arcticle that costs £2,800 per month. The alternative £15-an-hour careworker from 9am to 6pm home in UK would be £135 per day and only 20 days to match £2.800; you would never be able to get a careworker in Denmark for modest £15 an hour, minimum salary for a careworker is 199 DKR per hour (2021), which equals £23, plus pension and extras. £2,800 would in Denmark equal about 100 hours careworker-help per month, or three to four hours per day.

 

The only real problem I can see with remote elder care is family relations.

[BostonRob2]

1 hour ago, jimgilly said:

My answer is a definite NO!   Why would anybody select Chiang Mai as a location for the elderly who obviously have a number of health conditions and now they get to deal with severe pollution for 4 to 5 months a year?  Totally illogical and people should be forewarned of this before making such a big decision. 

Maybe they don't want them to last too long so they can claim the inheritance. 

[Expat68]

Both my parents, who lived into their 90s ended up in care homes in the UK (there was no other option) I found it the most heart wrenching period of my life, leaving them there after my visits and swore to myself that I would never end up in them

[KhunLA]

Yes, sounds like the best 'Thank You' for raising me someone could think of, and give to a loved one. 

 

And why didn't you do it sooner ????

[abrahamzvi]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

No.

 

Would consider an ice floe well before this option.

 

 

Why do you maintain this attitude. What are the  reasons?

[wwest5829]

As a retired member of the working middle class, I already made the choice to retire to a lower cost country. Here in Thailand I have a comfortable working middle class retirement not available to me in my home country. I have also looked at long term facilities if needed later. With the caring Lanna culture and being outpriced at home, I believe these facilites, combined with the excellent health care available in Thailand are a potential win-win for retired westerners and Thailand.

[Cake Monster]

I really dont think I would be able to send a loved one to live in a care home in Thailand or any other land.

One only has to look at the photo of Mr. Higgins having his Blood Pressure checked to see why.

He is there sitting with a Nurse, and has a Thai Dictionary on the Table in front of him.

The poor man has probably been desperately trying since day one of his stay at this Home to find another person to which he can relate too.

To speak to, to Joke with, to have a Game of Cards, or Cribbage, with a good Pint of Bitter in front of him. To watch Eastenders or some other favourite TV program.

Instead at the tender age of ( whatever Mr Higgins is ) he has to adapt to not having a Pork Pie or seeing his Grand Children

I really wish Mr. Higgins the very best of luck for a long, and happy retirement,  but for me this is not the kind of thing or situation I would place one of my Parents in were they still alive today. 

 

[Tropposurfer]

No I would never place a loved one in any facility I was not able to visit as often as I could. Mt dad died suddenly and my mum to 91 and she was close by and we had lots of weekends and pop-in weekly visits and meals together before she took the big-sleep.

As for my ageing and eventual 'going into that good night' I'm with you PJPom.

I've got great insurance, and therefore can afford it. I plan to will avail myself of home-care by lovely Thai's, and (if still alive) my love, then into a lovely 5 star Thai care facility when I get totally rickety. 

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

One only has to look at the photo of Mr. Higgins having his Blood Pressure checked to see why.

He is there sitting with a Nurse, and has a Thai Dictionary on the Table in front of him.

The poor man has probably been desperately trying since day one of his stay at this Home to find another person to which he can relate too.

To speak to, to Joke with, to have a Game of Cards, or Cribbage, with a good Pint of Bitter in front of him. To watch Eastenders or some other favourite TV program.

Or is enjoying the hell out of it.  Taking his new adventure to heart and learning Thai ... away from boring card, cribbage, tv.  Watching TV is not a life adventure or hobby.  Simply a time killer when nothing else to do, or too lazy to bother.

[robertson468]

We have 22 rai of land very nearSurat Thani, which we are very happy to develop in partnership to develop a Retirement Village.  As my Thai Wife is the land owner, it eliminates all the issues of Foreign Ownership, and could develop probably about 30 units plus per rai, plus restaurant, gym, swimming poo and medical centre.  Please PM me if you are interested, or know someone who might be interested.

[soalbundy]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

That will put a whole new meaning of definition on the phrase "loved one" wouldn't now?...

42,000 pounds a year makes me think of other options, like a leaking gas stove or castor rollers on a walking stick.

[whaleboneman]

11 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

I really dont think I would be able to send a loved one to live in a care home in Thailand or any other land.

One only has to look at the photo of Mr. Higgins having his Blood Pressure checked to see why.

He is there sitting with a Nurse, and has a Thai Dictionary on the Table in front of him.

The poor man has probably been desperately trying since day one of his stay at this Home to find another person to which he can relate too.

To speak to, to Joke with, to have a Game of Cards, or Cribbage, with a good Pint of Bitter in front of him. To watch Eastenders or some other favourite TV program.

Instead at the tender age of ( whatever Mr Higgins is ) he has to adapt to not having a Pork Pie or seeing his Grand Children

I really wish Mr. Higgins the very best of luck for a long, and happy retirement,  but for me this is not the kind of thing or situation I would place one of my Parents in were they still alive today. 

 

I see a different picture than you. Mr. Higgins is sitting at an outside table in a short sleeved shirt smiling away as a cute nurse takes good care of him. He is learning a language which keeps the mind young and active. The only problem I would have is that crappy three-in-one coffee he has to drink.

[sirineou]

14 hours ago, khunPer said:

The only real problem I can see with remote elder care is family relations

How about medical care?

does staying in such a retirement facility provide you with health insurance that covers pre-existing conditions? 

[olfu]

This topic looks misleading. If I cannot decide myself it means my brain dont work.

Plus prices pretty crazy--in US  medical care start at 8000$ a month and going up every year.

[sirineou]

19 minutes ago, olfu said:

This topic looks misleading. If I cannot decide myself it means my brain dont work.

Plus prices pretty crazy--in US  medical care start at 8000$ a month and going up every year.

Is it medical care , or is it assisted living? In the US should any medical emergency occurs and ambulance will take you to the Hospital  and your care would be covered by your Medicare plan. What would happen in Thailand in a similar situation? 

[jonwilly]

I had a friend of 96 live in this Home for Three years until he passed away at 99.

I used to visit once a week and his care was first class.

His son and daughter paid for his stay following his wife's death.

I think The Mail have confused Pounds for Baht.

I am British so asking about a friends finances is not on.

From conversations I will suggest B60K per month for his stay but I do not know.

Nursing assistants stayed with him 24 hrs a day and State Qualified nurses and a Doctor where on immediate call.

Nurses where excellent and looked after him like a loved father.

I met the owner, a fellow Brit from North West of England and he came across as a Good person.

John Williams

[scubascuba3]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

That's expensive, the care home in Chiang Mai (Ban Lalisa) has prices starting from 25Kbht/month (shared room). That's around 6,000 pounds/year.

https://www.facebook.com/baannlalisa/photos/pcb.1106118193476666/1106113656810453

 

Really nice place, swimming pool, nice gardens

Marketing is all in Thai so presumably full of Thais, not sure that's ideal for English speaking people that have never been to Thailand especially if have dementia and the like

[Stargeezr]

Well both of my parents had dementia and did not know who anyone

was for their last couple of years, but they have both died, darn. Having them stay in a tropical place

versus a place with Winters that are cold with snow. Hmmm. If Hua Hin had a 

retirement place then maybe for sure. Just as long as I had the money to be able to come and visit them

for at least 2 or 3 months per year.

[connda]

No.  I'd send them to the Philippines. Less expensive, better English, and no Visa drama.

[HashBrownHarry]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

That's expensive, the care home in Chiang Mai (Ban Lalisa) has prices starting from 25Kbht/month (shared room). That's around 6,000 pounds/year.

https://www.facebook.com/baannlalisa/photos/pcb.1106118193476666/1106113656810453

 

Really nice place, swimming pool, nice gardens

Can see loads of people in a care home making use of that pool, looks really user friendly.........

[AnnaBanana]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Marketing is all in Thai so presumably full of Thais, not sure that's ideal for English speaking people that have never been to Thailand especially if have dementia and the like

No problem there scuba...

   In no time they'd be forum regulars complaining about life here in Thailand.

[billd766]

8 hours ago, sirineou said:

How about medical care?

does staying in such a retirement facility provide you with health insurance that covers pre-existing conditions? 

A problem I see is Visa extensions. They would be retirement with 800,000 in the bank plus a fair monthly income. I can't think of any other visa extension that would allow this.