POLICE raided a substandard elderly care home in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district today (Jan. 19) with another raid on a similar home in Nong Chok district finding that some residents had been chained, TV Channel 7 said.
Pol. Col. Neti Wongkub, head of Consumer Protection Police Division 4, said the raid on the Nong Chok care home found 21 older people living there with some of them who were unable to take care of themselves having been chained.
Today’s raid on a commercial building turned into a care home in Lad Krabang that opened three months ago found 18 elderly people living there with six caregivers, two Thai and four foreigners. Their families paid 10,000 to 12,000 baht a month and usually did not return to visit them.
Dr. Thares Krasanaiyarawiwong, head of the Department of Health Service Support, said this care home, which has a Facebook page, is not up to standard with there being no medical equipment to help the elderly residents and they also did not receive physiotherapy. Moreover the foreign workers were illegal migrants who had not attended training programmes.
Of the 18 elderly residents, two are bed-ridden and the families of nine of them are coming to pick them up, he added.
Pol. Col. Neti mentioned that police had already got the name of this facility’s owner and called him today but as he did not show up a summons will be issued for him to acknowledge the charges he now faces.
Investigation showed that he is the same owner of a care home in Chachoengsao province which was closed at the end of last year after one elderly resident contracted coronavirus and died there.
Mr. Thanasit Methaphan, head of Lad Krabang district office, said some of the elderly people at this substandard home are being moved to elderly care centre at Baan Bang Khae while the Zendai non-profit organisation is initially taking care of the rest. Zendai workers today came in to carry out ATK coronavirus tests.
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A chained elderly resident at the substandard Nong Chok care home. Photo:
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