Hospice In Chiang Mai?

[jaideeguy]

I will at some point be in need of hospice for my 90 yr old father that I am caregiving and have read an article that it is available in Thailand, but what about Chiang Mai?? preferably English speaking.

[aussiechick]

Yes ther is - its called the McKean Hospital which was originally a leprosy care centre. Now they care for lots of people. I have a friend in there, that's the reason I know about it.

More about it here: http://www.chiangmainews.com/indepth/details.php?id=1767

Hope this is helpful for you.

[uptheos]

I think you are going to be very hard pressed to find such a thing in Chiang Mai or even Thailand.

Palliative care of the type a hospice in the west provides isn't available here (as far as I know) and Thai's tend to take care of their elderly dying parents at home or sleep in the hospital with them, where they know they will die.

Back in UK hospices generally take people in their final stages (few weeks). There are some great hospices run by nuns and organisations such as Sue Ryder, but obviously you need to be in these countries to be referred......good that you are thinking about things now.

[uptheos]

Yes ther is - its called the McKean Hospital which was originally a leprosy care centre. Now they care for lots of people. I have a friend in there, that's the reason I know about it.

More about it here: http://www.chiangmainews.com/indepth/details.php?id=1767

Hope this is helpful for you.

This is good to know about.

[Gladiator]

Yes there is in Chiang Mai - McKains Hospital

I have personal experience of a loved one needing this kind of mediacal nursing and care.

If you wish to PM me - I would be happy to provide you with more details.

Gladiator

[Gonzo the Face]

Yes by all means, McKean.

Those of you who knew our friend Abe know that where he spent his last couple years and in fact died there.

I know of another of CM's expats that is currently there and in the hands of those who can give him the care that he would not be able to get anywhere else in this city..

If you have never been there, take an hour or so and pay a visit to the island. It is a peaceful and very serene and beautiful spot.

G

[Gladiator]

Well said Gonzo

may Abe RIP

Gladiator

Yes by all means, McKean.

Those of you who knew our friend Abe know that where he spent his last couple years and in fact died there.

I know of another of CM's expats that is currently there and in the hands of those who can give him the care that he would not be able to get anywhere else in this city..

If you have never been there, take an hour or so and pay a visit to the island. It is a peaceful and very serene and beautiful spot.

G

[jaideeguy]

Thanks for the referals, but what I'm looking for....or I should say my Pop would prefer is 'at home' hospice' and yes it does exist here in Thailand acording to this report,

http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/Journ...ticle_ID=939561

but does it exist up here in CM??

who wants to spend your last days/weeks/months in a hospital with strangers and no offence to Mckean, but I would rather go it at home with family.

And then there is the issues of living wills and Pop don't want to extend his life with machines and tubes....does anyone??? that's the danger of ending up in a private facility.....they make money with you alive and paying the bill.

[jaideeguy]

Here's a copy and paste of the article that I mentioned above and would appreciate any leads on hospice in CM........it does exist in LOS

Hospice Care: A Cross-cultural Comparison Between the United States and Thailand

Yaowarat Matchim MS, RN

Myra Aud PhD, RN

Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing

September/October 2009

Volume 11 Number 5

Pages 262 - 268

The origins of hospice care in Thailand began in the 1980s. The national workshop on cancer pain was held in 1982, and the Thai Association for the Study of Pain was founded 1990.26 Previously, there were no hospices; dying people were cared for in hospitals, private residences, and temples. The care for dying people outside the hospital was provided naturally by family caregivers, relatives, and Buddhist monks or nuns. In 1992, Phrabat Nampu temple in Lob Puri province opened a hospice for people with AIDS as a nonprofit organization.27 Buddhist monks and volunteers provided care for these patients. At present, the organization of this hospice includes an inpatient unit with 400 beds with healthcare staff, male and female accommodation for single persons, chalet-style accommodation for family groups, facilities for children with HIV and AIDS, and shelter for the elderly left without support after their family has died of AIDS.26 After the first hospice was founded at Phrabat Nampu temple, some private hospices were also developed. For example, Soon Bantaojai Centre was established by Camillian Missionaries in Nondaburi province in 1993.28 This development of hospice care occurred in both government facilities and community groups, driven particularly by the urgent need to care for people living with HIV and AIDS.

In 1998, Mahavajiralongkorn Cancer Centre, the first hospice operated by the Thai government, was opened in central Thailand.26 The organization of this hospice was influenced by Australian and US hospice models. The multidisciplinary team at this hospice includes a physician (on rotation for 1 month), nurses, a social worker, and a Buddhist monk. Patients are referred to the hospice by their physicians when their conditions are appropriate for hospice care. Although the Thai hospice model was influenced by the US hospice model, it was also distinct from the US hospice model in which the US hospice provides bereavement services lasting from 6 months to 1 year for family members after the death of the loved ones. The Thai hospice model does not cover bereavement services. According to the tradition of extended families in the Thai culture and strong relationships among relatives, the relatives will support family members who lost their loved ones.26

Currently, hospice and palliative care has been implemented in at least 13 organizations and provide 40 hospice-palliative care services, mostly to inpatients. Eight of these organizations are government facilities (tertiary hospitals and cancer centers), one is a private hospital and two are faith-based institutions.26 Most services provide for inpatients. The model of service of each organization is likely distinct from that of each other.

At the Mahavajiralongkorn hospice, patients are allowed to stay in the hospice for 2 weeks. During this time, their family members learn to look after the patients. After patients are discharged to their private homes, caring is provided by family members. Nurses visit to support and help as necessary. Pain medication such as morphine can be prescribed for patients based on a nurse's assessment and communication to a physician. Opioids are provided only in tablet (morphine) and patch (fentanyl) forms.

for more info, go to the link that I provided in my last post