Impact of Long Term Care for the Elderly in Urban Area of Thailand

This study was a qualitative research aiming to study the experience of long-term care, its associated impact as well as the role of organizations involved in long ? term care for the elderly. Data were collected, from January of 2015 to June of 2015, through in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and direct observation of 362 elderly persons and 85 caregivers, at 6 municipality of four provinces of Thailand. The data were analyzed using content analysis, thematic analysis, and frequency and percentage.The results of long-term dependency of the elderly with stroke, dementia, co-morbidity, and chronic health problem, were documented. The care givers who provided long-term care for the elderly in Urban Area showed that the majority of them feel relative powerless; most of them (85%) were female; 30 percent had a chronic health problem; and 35 percent were elderly caregivers. 70 percent of caregivers also work, about 15 percent people need to provide long-term care for more than one person, it was found that the pattern of family caregivers for long-term elderly care in Urban Area of Thailand that the caring was subject of gratitude.Regarding the effect of care, Half of caregivers who care for the elderly with stroke and co-morbidity experienced the economic burden, due to costs of care, financial debt, and a lack of opportunities for career development.The psychological burden and emotional problems were the most common ,among those who provided care to elderly people with dementia. there is a lack of continuity of care for the elderly in the long term health care system, a lack of assurance for the quality of home care, and the lack of integration of missions of the organizations involved in the care of the elderly in a community.In conclusion, the long-term care for the elderly in Thailand results in tremendous burden on caregivers and families amidst the unavailability of family and community support systems. Therefore, support system development and system design for long-term elderly care options for caregivers and families in the community include; development of primary care services, promote the role of local government in the long term care system for the elderly, development potential family caregivers, and standardization and quality control long-term elderly care nationality.Thus, leading to the development of a sustainable aged care that is in accord with urban area of Thailand.