Family support for older persons in Thailand: Challenges and opportunities

• Main Authors: KNODEL, John, TEERAWICHITCHAINAN, Bussarawan Puk
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Gerontology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2439; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3696/viewcontent/rr17_879.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Population aging and the wellbeing of older persons are major emerging challenges for families, communities, and government in Thailand as in much of Asia. Traditionally, support and care for the elderly are met within the family. Adult children are important providers of material support as well as other forms of assistance to their older-age parents. The state and communities typically provide limited care services for the older population. Currently, Thailand is facing demographic and socioeconomic changes that pose significant challenges for the roles that family members, especially adult children, play in providing support for the elderly. This paper empirically examines the state of Thai family care for older persons in various aspects (such as material and social support as well as personal care) and the challenges and opportunities facing the Thai family.