Govt ramps up long-term care for elderly
Of about 1.3 million housebound and bed-bound elderly people, just a little over 10 per cent have received long-term care services from the state. This year, the government has approved a budget of Bt900 million to deliver services to 150,000 elderly dependants. Although the long-term care services are far from extensive, the project marks a step forward for elderly care at the time when Thailand is becoming a full-fledged ageing society. An “ageing society” refers to a country in which at least 10 per cent of the population are over 60 years of age. As of last year, 14 per cent, or 10.67 million, Thais were elderly.
