Growing "old" In Pattaya

[gguy]

I wonder what it would be like growing "old" in Pattaya.

"Old" is the stage of life where assistance is needed. I think most people reach this stage between 75 and 85.

Most people may be forced to return to their countries due to medical costs not be covered in foreign countries.

I don't think I would like to be navigating Pattaya's streets in a walker.

The only plus would be the ability to hire someone to help you for 10 to 20K B per month.

Maybe instead of opening gogos, the new business opportunity is nursing homes.

[Chang_paarp]

Maybe instead of opening gogos, the new business opportunity is nursing homes.

It is a very profitable industry in many parts of the world. Gogos are problematic with the grey areas of the law, old folk villages with special areas for travellers could be a very good earner for someone with the correct contacts and knowledge.

[gguy]

Maybe instead of opening gogos, the new business opportunity is nursing homes.

It is a very profitable industry in many parts of the world. Gogos are problematic with the grey areas of the law, old folk villages with special areas for travellers could be a very good earner for someone with the correct contacts and knowledge.

The biggest cost in nursing homes is labor. Thai labor costs are fairly low.

I think a Swedish firm has a retirement village in Jomtien.

It sounds like a winning investment.

[Ungabunga]

Perhaps in years to come, the Mad Dogs may be swapping their Harleys for mobility scooters. That would be a sight and a half

I'm sure that the nursing homes here would be better fun than UK etc. The bed baths would probably be given on a lilo, with generous portions of soap suds. I'm sure they would prove popular with the old fellas. Roll on old age!

[NanLaew]

Perhaps in years to come, the Mad Dogs may be swapping their Harleys for mobility scooters. That would be a sight and a half

I'm sure that the nursing homes here would be better fun than UK etc. The bed baths would probably be given on a lilo, with generous portions of soap suds. I'm sure they would prove popular with the old fellas. Roll on old age!

Every day is a soapy day? Yeah!!!

[kerryk]

Insurance is the problem. Most Western countries pay for nursing home care. Medicare and medicaid in the States. Labor is not the problem as all the care is paid for by the state. Thailand is not on the approved list of care providers. Too bad.

It would be cheaper for the country and better for the individual.

Anyone one with a brain in the US has long term care insurance so they can't go to Thailand and get the care covered.

[Guest RealEstateBroker]

Hi all. I tried for several years to get the permits for a retirement home in Pattaya, finally I gave up and I think the reason I did not get the permits was that some Thais are seeing the potential for this in the future. I had the money available from investors, a Thai company set up with capital that allowed for a bunch of work permits for the non-thai we needed for the whole thing...etc..etc. If anyone is still interested in doing this I have a LOT of ground work and contacts in place. Please sent me a PM. I do not need any more investment capital...only better help with the permit process.

[Tarqin]

I would definitely be interested in investing in such a venture. The potential is obvious.

[ThaiBob]

Insurance is the problem. Most Western countries pay for nursing home care. Medicare and medicaid in the States. Labor is not the problem as all the care is paid for by the state. Thailand is not on the approved list of care providers. Too bad.

It would be cheaper for the country and better for the individual.

Anyone one with a brain in the US has long term care insurance so they can't go to Thailand and get the care covered.

"Medicare and medicaid in the States. "... are you saying nursing home care is covered? I thought they cover the first 90 days and then you are your own unless you can show you have no assets.

[Tyke]

As far as I know, nursing home care is not provided free in the UK on the National health. I think UK citizens have to hand over all their assets before they can get full benefits. If the NH does provide such a service then it isn't available to UK citizens if they have been non-residents - in that case only after they have returned to live in the UK for 3 years. Of course there is still private health insurance.

If you are not covered in the UK, I think hospital/nursing home care here is far better than the UK and well worth saving your pennies to cover care here. I am sure in the next 10 years or so there will be a flurry of activity in this area in BKK, Pattaya and CM and nearby. It seems a natural prgression from health tourism esp in view of western demography. Where else would you be able to get wheeled for an outing to the go-go bar next door? Not in Hemel Hempsted for sure.

[dsfbrit]

My mum is in a Care Home in the UK. The care in my mum's home is excellent and regulated.

They have recently changed the names of these service providers, but basically there are Care Homes and Nursing Homes.

As the names suggest, if you are just old and infirmed and need general looking after, then you can stay in a Care Home where there are no qualified nursing staff.

If your situation is worse then this, then you will be assessed by the Local Health Authority as needing Nursing care.

The 'Nursing' part is supposed to be provided 'free' or at least subsidised. The attitiude of the British Government is that the Nursing part should be free and just the accommodation part paid for. This is because all Nursing Care under the National Health Service (NHS), is supposed to be free at the point of delivery.

This concession was won by an Age Concern group taking the UK Government to court a few years back.

I won't go into all the details, but at the moment We (the family) pay 550 pounds a week (yes a week - that is not a typo!! about 35000 Baht a week) for my mum to be in a care home.

She is 87 and if her condition worsens (she is a diabetic with heart problems), she will be assessed as having to go into the Nursing home next door. We will then have to pay another 100 pounds a week.

Its an odd situation, because my mum has a District Nurse come visit her each day to help with injections, but this is not considered to be 'Nursing' care as the Nurse is not on site permanently.

However, if mum goes into the Nursing home, the Government would then reimburse us about 70 pounds a week for the 'Nursing' part.

This cost is no more expensive compared to other care homes in the area, so you can see the cost in the UK is generally high.

Yes we did have to sell the house and use ALL assets that mum has saved over the years. This includes her pension as well. When the money reduces to around 20,000 pounds, then the Government helps with the non 'Nursing' costs as well.

By the way, people in the UK who have no assets at all get all their care free from day one!!!

Socialism at its fairest.

In the UK, there are regular inspections by the Government (CSCI), which publish all the results of care homes they inspect to ensure the homes are well run, there are no abuses etc...(sadly there are lots of abuses even with this inspection system).

Care homes can be shut down if they do not meet certain criteria.

One of the important things about the UK set-up is that it is closely regulated and for example, the carers cannot accept gifts and cannot witness such things as legal documents etc...

I personally would not trust any care home in Thailand to look after me. I would suspect that even if an organisation were set up in Thailand - equivalent to the CSCI - it would be unable to seriously regulate the abuses that would inevitably occur.

Could you imagine being infirmed and your Thai carer being able to witness your Will for you...

Edited June 22, 2008 by dsfbrit

[kerryk]

Insurance is the problem. Most Western countries pay for nursing home care. Medicare and medicaid in the States. Labor is not the problem as all the care is paid for by the state. Thailand is not on the approved list of care providers. Too bad.

It would be cheaper for the country and better for the individual.

Anyone one with a brain in the US has long term care insurance so they can't go to Thailand and get the care covered.

"Medicare and medicaid in the States. "... are you saying nursing home care is covered? I thought they cover the first 90 days and then you are your own unless you can show you have no assets.

You spend down your parents estate so there is only a house, car and a couple of thousand cash. You have to start doing this a few years before to be legal and a good lawyer is a good idea. Then the state covers all expenses. I didn't do this and spent half a million like an idiot.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Depending on the degree of care required I think I would rather be at home with a couple of carers to assist my wife in taking care of me. I'm talking a mobility problem here not a mental one.

If I'm a vegtable and just sit around and stare at the wall and crap my pants I'd much rather be put out of my miserie. I don't want to be remembered that way. Catch up on my sleep with half a bottle of sleeping pills. That better than the ever popular taking a dive off the roof.

[dsfbrit]

Depending on the degree of care required I think I would rather be at home with a couple of carers to assist my wife in taking care of me. I'm talking a mobility problem here not a mental one.

If I'm a vegtable and just sit around and stare at the wall and crap my pants I'd much rather be put out of my miserie. I don't want to be remembered that way. Catch up on my sleep with half a bottle of sleeping pills. That better than the ever popular taking a dive off the roof.

Agreed.

I hope you (and me come to that) have someone you can trust to look after you (or buy the sleeping pills/help you to that high floor balcony )

The trouble is it doesn't seem to work 'cleanly' like that.

Since being involved in the 'care home scene' because of my mum, I have seen many people that are no longer able to think properly and are at the mercy of other people. Carers at the care home are at least well regulated.

I have seen people with Power Of Attorney over an elderly relative, that I would not buy a second hand car from, let alone entrust with all my care needs!

As for carers at home - I have a friend who pays for 2 carers to look after his dad in his home (his 88 year old dad lives on his own with the 2 caresr - not with the family). He is constantly having problems with them. He has replaced them several times over the last 3 years alone. His dad is now in the early stages of Alzheimers and my friend is certain one carer was abusing him and another was stealing the food and feeding his dad with a small percentage of the food that was bought.

I am 'only' 53 and until I got involved with care homes because of my mum, I never thought about old age care. I would never have bothered reading nor commenting on a thread about old age. If I had I may have made a joke about it.

The trouble is, its really quite scary.

A depressing subject indeed, think I will go and read the Travel Forum instead