Thai Elder Abuse Problems and Prevention

Abstract

The present qualitative research aimed to study 1) the nature of abuse experienced by Thai elders, 2) the causes of elder abuse, and 3) the prevention of elder abuse. The key informants were the Thai elders and directors of 9 Social Welfare Development Centers for Older Persons and old age homes in Buriram, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Chonburi, Lopburi, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The in-depth interview technique was applied to collect data. The results suggested that the abuse of older people in Thailand could be categorized into 4 main groups, which were neglect, financial abuse, verbal abuse, and physical assault. The occurrence of elder abuse resulted from the individual factors of elders and abusers such as sons and daughters, sons-in-law, husband’s brothers, and grandchildren. The preventive measures to reduce elder abuse included driving Thai local administrative organizations to play a role in caring the elderly in each community, formulating a specific law on elder abuse, strictly complying with the elder abuse law, and encouraging community volunteers such as care-forthe- elderly-at-home volunteers and village health volunteers to pay attention to and look out for the elderly in communities.