Professional Health Care at Home - ideas on costs needed

[Paul Laycock]

I have been thinking about this for some time.

Two strokes, deep vein thrombosis, hyper tension and a recent hip replacement op. Which later became infected has left me partially disabled. My wife lives and works in Bangkok and has little to do with me.

I receive some help from my wife's sister, washing clothes, ironing, house cleaning and help with my cooking.

In return I pay her some money.

This will undoubtedly end at some stage. My question is how much would professional home health care cost per month.

I live in the N/East - are there professional companies out there who may be able to help.

I'm not looking for a hooker or new wife but someone who can help in other requirements, driving, companion on 90 day notifications etc. must speak English.

Thanks for sensible replies.

[Sheryl]

I am not clear what the need for a health care professional (which would be more costly) is? Wouldn't any English-speaking maid/companion/assistant who speaks English do?

[Paul Laycock]

Perhaps your right, just looking at options and cost.

Walking is a problem, driving not recommended and as for cooking, trying to juggle boiling pans of water about is dangerous.

[colinneil]

Forget about agencies.

Speak to nurses etc, at your local hospital. Many of them are looking for some extra money.

Believe me, it worked for me.I am paraplegic and need help when my wife is not home.

[Paul Laycock]

Yes thanks. I did this and had one physiotherapist who was helping me for 300 baht an hour but she became unreliable so we parted company.

[Lefty]

There is a nurses aid training school located on the main road in Korat,you might look into that further.

Lefty

[marieb]

I don't see why you necessarily need to look for a female. I personally know of one young man who has been doing a terrific job exactly as you describe for over 9 years now.

[gamini]

I am in much the same situation. I think you would be looking at Bt15-Bt20K for live in housekeeper who can drive

[Sheryl]

Yes, agree about 20K/month for live in. Doesn't need to be a nurse or nurses' aid from the tasks mentioned, but the need for English and ability to drive a car will narrow the range of prospects.

Best way to find someone is just to ask around, put the word out. Tell everyone you know, ask at shops etc.

[chubby]

generally, you need to breakdown what help you need, we call it activities of daily living, which are direct vs. instrumental ADLs ; the 1st dressing, bathing, tolieting, the latter, cooking , shopping, finances, etc ; if you need a professional for med managemnt, wounds, fill up pillboxs, teach some daily person how to do exercises for you, it would be short term i would think ..........

[Paul Laycock]

I'll get back to you later. I'm preparing myself for a trip to Lao - 90 day report and all that.

[Paul Laycock]

I feel rather pathetic now, my downstairs bathroom has been modified so I have grab rails to hold my balance. I purchased a single bed for downstairs as I can't make it upstairs.

Cooking is a juggling act with a half warm meal at the end of it. During the day I use a tripod as support and a means of stability, night time I use a frame for safety, no one here to pick me up.

Due to incorrect medication I have collapsed twice resulting in, broken left arm, broken elbow in right side and seven stitches in my head.

What do you think?

[billd766]

My MIL lives with us and she suffers badly from diabetes. She has been in hospital 3 times this year and at the moment she is more or less OK. She actually lives in a small house about 20 metres from us. She can now shuffle around but cannot cook or clean the house anymore. I have put some handrails in for her and I will put more in later this month. I suppose the farthest she can "walk" now is about 25 metres without the need to sit down.

My wife looks after her most of the time and if she goes away as she did this weekend a friend comes and looks after MIL and sleeps there at night. Last week nobody was staying with the MIL and my wife's phone rang at 1 am as MIL had fallen out of bed, banged her head on the fridge and she was lucky to be able to reach her phone and call my wife.

I am 71, fat but reasonably fit and I sleep upstairs in our house. I know that at some time I will have to move downstairs and I will have a similar problem as you do Paul. My wife will have to cart me around in the truck to Immigration etc, I will have to give up cooking etc and my life will be constricted.

I plan for the worst but hope for the best.

One of my biggest problems will be that if help is needed then it really ought to be professional help as if an untrained person tries to lift you or me they could in turn hurt themselves and us as well.

It could be a long term problem that will need a lot of thinking about.

There is a poster on TV whose name I have forgotten at the moment (I apologise to both you and the poster) who is seriously disabled and who maybe able to give you some advice as well.

He has an electric hoist to get in and out of bed with.

I cannot remember the post either.

[Paul Laycock]

I can't really say anymore. Just for readers interest, I did my 90 day report in Lao. I employed the service of a private driver at Baht 1,200.00 I have used his service before and would recommend him to anyone with problems like mine or are shy of the bus service. All done and dusted in 45 minutes.

One thing I can't understand is why they (Imigration) wanted to take my picture on departure from Thailand and on return, don't they realize those Kerbs are a problem- bit like a mountain climb.

[NickJ]

You need to find out where the Nurses aid programs are. They send people until you find a person you like....If that person needs a holiday they send a temp. Also you can pay them extra to work on there off days or then have local come in.....it costs around 14k a month. The girls can be very decent. English might be very basic however.

[chubby]

just as well, to be downstairs, it seems, a tripod you mean a cane with prongs on it ? they typically don't support one so well, if you can find a 4 wheeled walker, or import one, probably ideal if you still walking well enough otherwise. what is a "frame" ? bedrails?

why don't you have a nurse come in and fill up a pillbox once a week ; maybe lucky you didn't get a subdural hematoma from the head injury or a broken hip, which is the usual problem with the falls, course we don't know your history otherwise.

maybe you need a shower chair as well fwiw so it goes

I feel rather pathetic now, my downstairs bathroom has been modified so I have grab rails to hold my balance. I purchased a single bed for downstairs as I can't make it upstairs.
Cooking is a juggling act with a half warm meal at the end of it. During the day I use a tripod as support and a means of stability, night time I use a frame for safety, no one here to pick me up.
Due to incorrect medication I have collapsed twice resulting in, broken left arm, broken elbow in right side and seven stitches in my head.
What do you think?

[Paul Laycock]

Thanks,

My walker in my country (UK) is also known as a Zimmer frame. I use the tripod walking stick to try and improve my posture. I have a plastic garden chair in my modified bathroom. I had hip replacement surgery after my last fall which then became infected. I still dream that things will get better and perhaps one day I will be able to walk and drive with some sort of normality. I train every day to keep my leg muscles in working order.

I purchased parallel bars for walking and other exercise, my next mission is to buy a exercise bike.

Frankenstein would be a good picture of me trying to walk unaided, only thing is, he doesn't fall over.

Regards

[meatboy]

I'll get back to you later. I'm preparing myself for a trip to Lao - 90 day report and all that.

why are you doing 90day reports,sure a doctors certificate to say your unfit to travel is excepted by immigration,so you can do it by post.

if you want advice on getting a good worker,look no further than a burmese maid.

[Paul Laycock]

I thought leaving the country was a requirement on a multiple entry visa? I get by with the help for now with my wife's sisters help. Burmese maid I wouldn't know where to start.

[lopburi3]

There is misunderstanding - you have multi entry visa so are doing border runs to obtain a new 90 day entry. What is called 90 day reports is a paper to immigration for those allowed to remain in Thailand for one year periods of time, or longer, saying they have done so. You are not doing those.

Most people married to a Thai extend there stay on a yearly basis and only have to do the 90 day reports which others can do or can be done on internet now. But that requires you live with wife per rules and both must visit immigration yearly and foreign husband must show funds of 400k each time.

If you are of age 50 or over and can show 65k per month or bank account of 800k to immigration you could obtain yearly retirement extensions - this would be much better than having to make border runs every few months.

[chubby]

well then you need a front wheeled walker, preferably with 5" high wheels........it seems, not a four wheeled walker

Thanks,

My walker in my country (UK) is also known as a Zimmer frame. I use the tripod walking stick to try and improve my posture. I have a plastic garden chair in my modified bathroom. I had hip replacement surgery after my last fall which then became infected. I still dream that things will get better and perhaps one day I will be able to walk and drive with some sort of normality. I train every day to keep my leg muscles in working order.
I purchased parallel bars for walking and other exercise, my next mission is to buy a exercise bike.
Frankenstein would be a good picture of me trying to walk unaided, only thing is, he doesn't fall over.
Regards

[Paul Laycock]

I don't want to get into a visa war on this topic. What I do suits me. Yes I am married to a Thai and each time I depart Thailand from Mukdahan I receive a new stamp in my passport giving me 90 days before I need to do the same.

As for money I have never been required to show evidence or proof of any savings or income.

Just for the record I received my new visa on 7/8th April without having to show my face at the Embassy/Consulate in Lao - I waited outside in an air conditioned taxi while my wife applied/ collected.

Back to topic please.

[lopburi3]

The topic is your health care and avoiding 90 day visa trips would seem to be an important factor if it were an option. You brought it up. We were providing options in case you were not aware of them.

As for domestic help believe the options have been outlined - at this time it does not appear you require trained nursing so perhaps have wife sister look for someone to help her would be the best option - this will likely be cheaper than contracting any service.

[meatboy]

I don't want to get into a visa war on this topic. What I do suits me. Yes I am married to a Thai and each time I depart Thailand from Mukdahan I receive a new stamp in my passport giving me 90 days before I need to do the same.

As for money I have never been required to show evidence or proof of any savings or income.

Just for the record I received my new visa on 7/8th April without having to show my face at the Embassy/Consulate in Lao - I waited outside in an air conditioned taxi while my wife applied/ collected.

Back to topic please.

well we are trying to help you,so if what your doing suits you,why do you want help,you say you are not very active yet you continue to make it hard for you.

makes me think you forgot to mention the chip on your shoulder.

[Paul Laycock]

I have no axe to grind or have a chip on my shoulder. Yesterday when I went to Lao, was the first time I have been out since April 7/8th. I thank my wife's sister for that, we also managed to go to BigC and Makro but boy am I suffering today. My right foot on the leg I have Thrombosis in and had my hip replacement operation has swollen right up so much it is now hard and painful to walk on today.

Believe me I appreciate the comments I have received and I have a few ideas for the future.

[mickjn]

I feel rather pathetic now, my downstairs bathroom has been modified so I have grab rails to hold my balance. I purchased a single bed for downstairs as I can't make it upstairs.

Cooking is a juggling act with a half warm meal at the end of it. During the day I use a tripod as support and a means of stability, night time I use a frame for safety, no one here to pick me up.

Due to incorrect medication I have collapsed twice resulting in, broken left arm, broken elbow in right side and seven stitches in my head.

What do you think?

You are going ok,the bodys broken down a bit you cannot get that right,keep the mind/brain strong

[mickjn]

Could I ask you how days a week your wife's sister comes and how much do you pay her

[Paul Laycock]

My wife's sister comes 7 days a week when possible, sometimes for 1 or 2 hours in the morning, late afternoon she spends 1 hour with me while I train/phsyio. She brings her 2 children and we try and have a bit of fun.

The children watch cartoons and when possible I give them little snacks and drinks.

She receives 4,000 from me per month but sometimes won't take it all.

A real diamond as we say.

[Sheryl]

Paul I am wondering if it would not be a good idea for you to check into a residential facility for intensive physical therapy for a while to see if you can get back to more normal mobility. There is a good one in Chiang Mai...a distance I know but may be worth it if it gets you back on your feet. Has doctors etc so any ongoing medical problems could also be seen to. Basically the situation you describe sounds unsafe and untenable to me.

[Paul Laycock]

Sheryl, thanks.