seanocasey

Having care-given my father here in LOS for 5 years until his passing last year, I can say that dealing with the elderly is quite a chalenge here.  Yes, help is cheap, but it requires constant management if you want it done in the western fashion.  Not only does the Thai medical system have no geriatics specialists, they barely have palliative care and absolutely no hospice for the 'end time'.  It was a constant chore to improvise and I had only dr google to rely on and a couple of compationate and knowlegable people on this furum to consult with.  I also got a lot of support on the alzheimer's/dementia caregivers forum.....but bottom line, it took a lot of research and improvising to make my father's last years comfortable.
People have mentioned the 'easy way' to check out of the pain and humiliation that goes along with aging, but the reality is that if you are not of sound mind, then you have to rely on someone else to administer it and that is asking a lot of anyone to do the deed.
Another harsh reality is that it is a rare Thai wife that will administer it.....mine says she won't even if I am in severe pain....Buddah don't like that, he wants us to suffer. and would she be able to research the tricks if improvising palliatave care and hospice?? again, I know that mine wouldn't be capable of it and she has a college degree.
The Thai way is to just let the old folks suffer at home with no strong pain meds or check them into a hospital to get pain meds until the end.  It is illegal to get any morphine to administer at home except a small amount of slow release tabs.
Bottom line....LOS may be a great place to live, but not a nice place to die.

One alternative is the Philippines, where they do have Hospice and palliatave care as well as English speaking caregivers and with me @ 65, I am researching and considering that as an option.

Imagine this OK!

The wifes old man has been in and out of hospital for a couple of months, he has throat cancer.

I did not have enough time to run him in everyday for his laser treatment, so I coughed up to get her brothers car taxed, to save me the hassle as I need to pick my son up from school everyday.

The laser treatment has finished, but every month or so he needs to go to the local hospital, 20K or so, for blood transfusions.

Well, yesterday, despite the car being taxed, they came and asked if I could pop in to the hospital to drop some clothes off...no problem, it was on my way.

Reasons given. everyone was busy working and no one to drive the car.

Then this morning I get asked can I go and pick up old Cancerous Daddy from the hospital, as he needs to come home.

But today, my son has been off school as he has a headache and is not too well.

Anyway, I agree to the roundtrip, but ask them to confirm that they will be ready to pick up, I hate waiting at hospitals/airports etc...

So my wife confirms they will be ready at 3pm, so off we go. arrive as usual due to the locals wanting me to drop off a bag or two of rice for processing, we arrive 30 minutes late!

I expect them to be chomping at the bit to get home, but as usual, I wait for almost an hour in the car, then my wife comes back and says Mr. Cancer cannot come home today as he is feeling poorly!

Then, because I complain about wasting Diesel and time, I am branded a twat for not loving their family??????? can you believe it? Not so much as an apology for wasting my time and money, not even a thank you for helping them out!

Sadly they can go   if they expect another free ride, the lot of them, the longer I stay here the more I hate them.