Here in the States they sell long term care insurance.
Since the cost of care for the elderly is so expensive this type of insurance can definitely help out.
Since our retirement is planned in Thailand I tended to ignore the salesmen, but a particularly sharp salesman found me a policy that is good in Thailand.
It covers $100 per day once you qualify. To qualify you need a doctor to sign that you can't do 2 of the following independently;
1) Get dressed
2) Go to the bathroom
3) Eat by yourself
So, as you can see one needs to be pretty far along to qualify.
My question to you all is if you feel a need for this type of insurance in Thailand
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
Are you assuming that these sor of facilities are available here in the price range you are talking about. Inall asian countries there is astrong tradition of families taking care of family members and the long term facilities have never developed.
On the other hand it is very easy to find domestic help to assist those who are not too agille.
A gentleman I know who has had a stroke and needs some assistance has live in help 24/365 which would be very expensive in the states but is well within the $100 day range in Thai
I don't believe the facilities are as prevalent in Thailand, although I remember we did start a thread a while back.
My curiosity was for the care since I would hate to be a burden to wife and family. Your knowledge of someone having the care at far less is comforting (not that I plan on needing it soon!).
Also curious what others think, or plan.
Thanks!!
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
My wife has promised to take care of me when I can't do anything for myself...
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
migrant wrote:Here in the States they sell long term care insurance.
Since the cost of care for the elderly is so expensive this type of insurance can definitely help out.
Since our retirement is planned in Thailand I tended to ignore the salesmen, but a particularly sharp salesman found me a policy that is good in Thailand.
It covers $100 per day once you qualify. To qualify you need a doctor to sign that you can't do 2 of the following independently;
1) Get dressed
2) Go to the bathroom
3) Eat by yourself
So, as you can see one needs to be pretty far along to qualify.
My question to you all is if you feel a need for this type of insurance in Thailand
I have all those problems after a night out on Binta bloc
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
Self inflicted don't count Richard! But seriously - 100 dollars a day would buy a hell of a lot of care in the LOS. My concern would be with the small print of the insurance conditions i.e whether it specifies that the care needs to be provided by a fully qualified health care professional. That - IMO - could be the stumbling block, because as already pointed out, family based long term care is still the accepted norm in Thailand.
There is no doubt that for much less than 100 Dollars a day it would be possible to hire a nice, older, live in Thai lady who would be devoted to proving the feeding/dressing etc needs which age and infirmity can bring - and who would be much more part of the family than some formal care agency type person, (if indeed they exist.)
So the question is whether it is financially viable to pay for insurance cover now - or whether you would be better off not bothering, and paying maybe 400 dollars a month if the time comes out of your own pocket.
A couple of years ago I was told by an expat administrator of a nameless big Bangkok hospital, that full time, qualified nurse, in your own home, 24 hour care cost Baht 30,000 per month. I don`t think that included any extras such as diapers, personal hygiene supplies, etc.
I do not recall if that figure was paid to the Hospital, or to the nurse. It probably also did not include such things as going shopping, or house maid services.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
A couple of years ago I was told by an expat administrator of a nameless big Bangkok hospital, that full time, qualified nurse, in your own home, 24 hour care cost Baht 30,000 per month.
There you go! For $100 a day you could have 3 nurses taking care of you full time!
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Margaret makes a very good point, would health insurance pay anything towards this informal care--Insurance companies can be strange insisting on MORE expensive care than is necessary.
We see patients flying home who we feel that only need a caring family member with them and the co will insist on flying a Dr out from the UK to accompany them back--and believe me the Drs who do this work are not the cream of the profession.
I hate insurance companies (sorry Mat). This policy pays cash to me and allows me to disburse it (or my wife if I'm babbling in the corner.
I thank all who responded and don't believe I am going to purchase it.
Initially thought it was too expensive, for a benefit too high, and I now am sure.
Although I did ask the insurance agent if I could specify that my care giver always be between 18 and 22, female and...well certain other attributes. Mrs M was there and I was almost in immediate need of my medical insurance policy
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
I have just a man. living here in HH who recently had a stroke. The stroke was not too serious, fortunately, but could have been. Just the loss of feeling and use in one part of his leg. Very often strokes are followed on by other strokes, it is quite common. He is living here permanently without any medical cover whatsoever. In my mind very foolish. If you are young, in business in Thailand, medical cover is fairly cheap, to start with. It is only when you get older that the prices shoot up. In other words, why take the risk, you never know what is around the corner. Get covered
For you who come from EU countries; you should
pay into your stately pension funds from the day
you leave your country. Then you will always have
a security if /or when you get ill abroad.
The normal insurance dont cover years of care abroad.
Amarita wrote:For you who come from EU countries; you should
pay into your stately pension funds from the day
you leave your country. Then you will always have
a security if /or when you get ill abroad.
The normal insurance dont cover years of care abroad.
Unfortunately it doesn't quite work like that for UK nationals living in some other countries, which includes Thailand. Conversely a UK national who has lived abroad for years and paid nothing into the UK State system can go home any time and get immediate medical treatment if necessary.
Just thinking again about the 3 criteria quoted by the OP initially - the ability to dress, toilet and feed themselves without aid (or a combination of 2 of those) a person really doesn't need to be completely crippled or incapable in order to satisfy those criteria. Many arthritis sufferers for example need help with all three functions, and some of them at a surprisingly young age too. So it needn't apply just to terminal or dementia type illnesses or simple old age!
Just thinking again about the 3 criteria quoted by the OP initially - the ability to dress, toilet and feed themselves without aid
There have been times since I moved here that I've qualified on one (or all ) of those criteria but thankfully it was only temporary!
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
