Thailand Moving Towards An Aging Society Very Soon

[webfact]

Thailand moving towards an aging society

BANGKOK: -- (NNT) – Thai senior citizens are found to have more health problems as the Thai society is expected to move to an aging society very soon, according to the recent report of the Ministry of Public Health.

Speaking about a survey on the health of Thai senior citizens, Deputy Public Health Minister Phansiri Kulanartsiri stated that Thailand is moving towards an aging society, as the number of senior citizens continued to increase while the birth rate was in decline. She expected that senior citizens aged over 60 years old would increase by 20% in the next 15 years.

The survey was conducted with 30,000 senior citizens residing in 21 provinces across the country. Based on the survey, senior citizens are suffering from many chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. 5% of senior citizens are experiencing depression while more than 300,000 of them require assistance.

More than one million Thai senior citizens are found to have Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease while about 900,000 of them are suffering from dementia or cognitive ability loss. Other problems include their loss of sight, hearing, and ability to chew.

Ms Phansiri announced that her ministry would take care of senior citizens via tambon hospitals and village health volunteers via a home health care plan.

-- NNT 2010-02-15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[SeanMoran]

I'll be 42 years old for most of this year, and presume that in these next 8 years, the retirement visa age will have risen from 50 to 55, and then to 60. It's part of curse on Generation-X that we'll never quite make our chronological destinations before the goalposts move...

Obtuse, I realise, but it's certainly a part of the whole topic.

[edwinchester]

I'll be 42 years old for most of this year, and presume that in these next 8 years, the retirement visa age will have risen from 50 to 55, and then to 60. It's part of curse on Generation-X that we'll never quite make our chronological destinations before the goalposts move...

Obtuse, I realise, but it's certainly a part of the whole topic.

I thought you were off to Burma or Zimbabwe so no need to worry about Thai visa?

[PeaceBlondie]

Declining birth rates for 35 years, and now well below replacement rate. Not enough babies, and the seniors are very sick. And I bet too few Thais will do anything healthy about it.

[SeanMoran]

I'll be 42 years old for most of this year, and presume that in these next 8 years, the retirement visa age will have risen from 50 to 55, and then to 60. It's part of curse on Generation-X that we'll never quite make our chronological destinations before the goalposts move...

Obtuse, I realise, but it's certainly a part of the whole topic.

I thought you were off to Burma or Zimbabwe so no need to worry about Thai visa?

Mate, at this point, I'll go with any place on this globe that will take me.

[Bagwan]

Odd thoughts :-

If the birthrate is declining and this is not a good thing, why are BiB running around in ever decreasing circles (until they hopefully disappear up their fundamental orifices) trying to stop teenagers having their share of rumpty-tumpty?

One sure way to increase the birth rate is to switch off all domestic power for a day or three. Remember the New York blackout? A bit drastic maybe and just closing TV stations and telephone networks might do the trick.

If so many old ‘uns are ailing how come they will form a larger percentage of the population?

If moves are made to increase the birthrate, thus filling up hospital beds, where are the aged going to be treated?

The announcement that the Ministry will take care of the ailing aged is right up there with ‘the cheque is in the post’. Gaining entry to a public hospital at the moment is not unlike trying to get into Old Trafford when the opponents are Liverpool.

My guess is that the Minister will establish a committee whose task will be to decide who sits on the actual working committee, who in the fullness of time will make recommendations that will be discussed ad nauseam, and then establish another committee to make suggestions for improvements to the recommendations – and then forget about the whole thing. No doubt that there will be a body of opinion who will ask how does the making of these senior but underprivileged citizens comfortable, or even well, profitable for Thailand?

There would be a whole lot more younger people around if the traffic laws were enforced.

[sunsamourai]

while about 900,000 of them are suffering from dementia or cognitive ability loss.

I guess nobody can really tell how many of the non-senior thai citizens also suffer from these illnesses...

[SeanMoran]

while about 900,000 of them are suffering from dementia or cognitive ability loss.

I guess nobody can really tell how many of the non-senior thai citizens also suffer from these illnesses...

About the universal average for our species I'd guess...

[bushwacker]

I'll be 42 years old for most of this year, and presume that in these next 8 years, the retirement visa age will have risen from 50 to 55, and then to 60. It's part of curse on Generation-X that we'll never quite make our chronological destinations before the goalposts move...

Obtuse, I realise, but it's certainly a part of the whole topic.

Cool your heart ... do not worry. The retirement visa age was 55 only a few years ago. Now it is 50. When you turn 50 they will drop it to 40 ... just to earn more revenue .... hihihihihi

[connel707]

while about 900,000 of them are suffering from dementia or cognitive ability loss.

I guess nobody can really tell how many of the non-senior thai citizens also suffer from these illnesses...

Yes...they are easy to count...... All are wearing Red Shirts and looking for 500bahts

[geriatrickid]

All joking aside, it's a major looming social crisis. Please consider;

- The elderly require more medical care = +Social service costs

- The blight of family decay means that an increasing number of elderly are left to fend for themselves.

- Elderly people are more likely to be the target of crime.

- Children that are forced to deal with a parent suffering dementia can use abusive means to control the person. Some of the stories out there are very grim. Picture a scenario where the daughter has to go to work, so she ties the mother up.

- People with dementia and alzheimers are not just a threat to themselves but a threat to others. Caring for these people is hard.It is incredibly difficult to hold down a job, raise your own kids and care for a parent that is in a bad state. The caregivers take a hit to their own physical and mental health.

I hope I am never in such a predicament.

[Tejas]

Declining birth rates for 35 years, and now well below replacement rate. Not enough babies, and the seniors are very sick. And I bet too few Thais will do anything healthy about it.

I understand, I think, where you are coming from. But the last thing Thailand and all other countries need is more babies.

In fact, we should implement strong government policies to discourage people from having children at all (or one child max).

In the sort term, there will be a problem with too many "old people." But that problem corrects itself naturally (unfortunate truth for all of us).

In the long term, having fewer babies and reducing the size of the human population will lead to massive economic, social and environmental benefits.