Home alone: The elderly citizens being abandoned as population change grips Thailand

[soalbundy]

20 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

It really sucks for the sort of stragglers of the older generation.  Family came first for them, but now those families they helped are forgetting about them and doing their own thing.  Part of the "me generation".

 

I'm sure there will be a rude awaking for them when they get older and they need someone.

It is understandable, in the countryside where I live nobody is alone because the village takes care of its own but in the cities life is different. The young are working and raising their own families trying to make ends meet, looking after an elderly relative, usually 100+ Km away just isn't possible.

[jacko45k]

This is the time of year all the family get together and 'Yai' is very much included... they will pay their respects IIRC. I think a lot of older, likely male, falangs get left at home alone though!

[zzaa09]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

This is the time of year all the family get together and 'Yai' is very much included... they will pay their respects IIRC. I think a lot of older, likely male, falangs get left at home alone though!

This is what happens when one never makes the effort to socialize or acclimate. 

Miserable old [and young] sods. 

????

[Moonlover]

11 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

18 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the grammar at all.

 

'many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year'.

 

11 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

The reference to is do is spending the holiday alone.  To correct the sentence, you should say something like: Many elderly will be alone on songran just as they are for the rest of the year.

I didn't attempt to correct the sentence, I simply quoted it. In fact to correct it would contravene forum rules.

 

The crux of my discussion is that the original sentence still makes sense anyway.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Moonlover

[quake]

22 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 Part of the "me generation".

Yes, so very true.

 TIT. in the 21st century. 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by quake

[Harveyboy]

21 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

I guess one of these days I might have to help take care of my Thai wife's elderly parents. Except I am older than they are.

Ha ..same here 

[gargamon]

16 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I think a lot of older, likely male, falangs get left at home alone though!

Sorry. They won't be alone. When the cat's away the mice will play. 

[seajae]

my wifes elderly mum has cancer and our half sister would beat her up whenever she asked for help(she is bed ridden) so we moved her to our other house and paid for someone to stay with her during the days and my wife would stay of a night but her mum  got worse and had to go to hospital. Problem is that family have to take care of them in hospital as nurses only give shots etc, dont do anything with the patient as they do in the western world so family has to feed, give drinks, give medication, change clothing & beds etc. My wife again paid for someone to spend the days with her then would sleep on the floor under her bed of a night after working all day(she manages a large export company), she would have to come home to shower & get ready for work every day so we walled in our back veranda to create an extra room so her mum could stay with us when she was released from hospital. The biggest problem here  is the hospitals do not function like western hospitals so family are required to do all the work with the patient which is very hard when their is no family, it is also very hard to find any sort of affordable elderly care facilities, while Thailand claims to be good with the elderly is it a total load of BS, it is all talk and no action, it really shows just how third world the country really is when they refuse to do anything to help their older people have a decent life.

[roo860]

7 minutes ago, seajae said:

my wifes elderly mum has cancer and our half sister would beat her up whenever she asked for help(she is bed ridden) so we moved her to our other house and paid for someone to stay with her during the days and my wife would stay of a night but her mum  got worse and had to go to hospital. Problem is that family have to take care of them in hospital as nurses only give shots etc, dont do anything with the patient as they do in the western world so family has to feed, give drinks, give medication, change clothing & beds etc. My wife again paid for someone to spend the days with her then would sleep on the floor under her bed of a night after working all day(she manages a large export company), she would have to come home to shower & get ready for work every day so we walled in our back veranda to create an extra room so her mum could stay with us when she was released from hospital. The biggest problem here  is the hospitals do not function like western hospitals so family are required to do all the work with the patient which is very hard when their is no family, it is also very hard to find any sort of affordable elderly care facilities, while Thailand claims to be good with the elderly is it a total load of BS, it is all talk and no action, it really shows just how third world the country really is when they refuse to do anything to help their older people have a decent life.

I hope you beat up the half sister, disgusting behaviour. 

[Adumbration]

 Buakaew should count her blessings.  She could have a hammock swinging Thai son or two and then she would be all along AND flat broke.

[jacob29]

On 4/13/2023 at 9:55 AM, BangkokReady said:

Family came first for them, but now those families they helped are forgetting about them and doing their own thing.  Part of the "me generation".

Having children so there's someone to take care of you when you're old, sounds like a case of 'me generation' as well.

[Olmate]

6 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

Having children so there's someone to take care of you when you're old, sounds like a case of 'me generation' as well.

Guessing your real name aint Jacob! ????

[BangkokReady]

8 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

Having children so there's someone to take care of you when you're old, sounds like a case of 'me generation' as well.

Not really.  They likely would have taken care of their own parents.  It's just the way things are.  it's a cultural thing.  Developing countries simply don't have the same level of care for the elderly so the family needs to provide it.

[jacob29]

3 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

Not really.  They likely would have taken care of their own parents.  It's just the way things are.  it's a cultural thing.  Developing countries simply don't have the same level of care for the elderly so the family needs to provide it.

Not seeing how that excuses the practice? The idea of shaming children to do something they never signed up for doesn't sit well me with, and being cultural doesn't soften it.

 

I see some of the fallout from the practice. Granted there's a difference between the occasional visit (during Songkran) and some of the more burdensome expectations, but some children have a good reason to keep a low profile.