Neglect of elderly: a new violence in Thai society

Abstract

The research on Neglect of elderly: a new violence in Thai society aimed at studying the neglect of elderly in Thai families in the family contexts, and at studying issues related to the neglect of elderly, issues related to relatives and neighbors caring for the elderly neglected to stay alone at home. The samples included 4,000 Thai family members based on the secondary data collected by the research and servey of Thai families well-being according to the warm family theme done in 2011 by Thai Family Studies Association. Subject to the analysis, The families neglecting the elderly less than 1 day a week were the largest group or it accounted for 35.5% in every group of families and economic status. Importantly, the group neglecting the elderly more than 6 days a week accounted for 7.7%. The elderly in the northeastern and southern regions were most neglected to stay alone more than 6 days a week or it accounted for 9.0% and 8.6% respectively if compared with other regions. The families in either urban or rural areas, every group of families neglected the elderly similarly. The results showed that the more the elderly were neglected to stay alone, the fewer there were neighbors caring for them. Among 2.757 families whose elderly were cared by neighbors, those elderly were neglected to stay alone more than 6 days a week, and they were cared by their neighbors at 7.7% if compared with the neglected elderly staying alone in shorter period. There were only 1,243 families whose elderly not being cared by neighbors, but this group was much worrying. In particular, the number of elderly neglected more than 5 days a week and not care by neighbors accounted for 24.6%. When studying the neighborsof those 2,757 families, there were only 1,189 families that were intimate and offered care to the elderly, and these families had more than 4 houses. These figures explain that the community system is dependable to care for the neglected elderly.