The Problems that Affect Finances of Elderly Patients Undergoing Stroke Recovery at Home

Abstract

Potential outcomes of stroke are fatigue, pain, dependence on others to complete activities of daily living, and economic problems. We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the economic needs of elderly patients undergoing stroke recovery at home. The sample group consisted of 10 elderly patients who were obtained by purposive sampling. Data were collected through interview. Obtained qualitative data were analyzed by using content analysis.  Results of the study revealed that all of the informants were government official retirees having an income for 13,500 – 28,000 baht per month. Most of them stayed with their caregiver at home (60%). The rest of the participants were at home alone (20%) or stayed with family members (20%). They could not go to the bank or Automatic Teller Machine (A.T.M.) to withdraw cash money. They also could not trust anyone to manage their personal finances. All of the informants (100%) were financially taken advantage of in various forms. Examples include money was stolen from their house, they were overcharged for food and other things, or they were extorted for money and threatened with physically assault. Respondents identified desired potential solutions for their economic needs: 1) financial management system operated by a public agency, particularly the Ministry of Public Health or a public university; 2) inexpensive service charge with recognized standards and a system to submit complaints in the case of any improper charges or financial practices; 3) financial security system provided by a bank or concerned agencies; 4) house security system such as close circuit camera and online systems; and 5) effective elderly care taking training center.