We live in an ageing society. Independent living, assisted living, after-hospital care, long-term care – these are all terms that describe the different needs of seniors as they grow older.
The needs vary among seniors. But they also vary in the same individual over time. Not many facilities attempt to cater to all of these needs. But the Long Lake Hillside Resort near Pattaya, which opened in February of this year, is trying to do just that. Long Lake is owned by the Absolute Living (Thailand) Company. Pensiri Panyarachun, managing director of Absolute Living, spoke to the Pattaya City Expats Club about the facility on Sunday, June 8.
Pensiri Panyarachun, managing director of Absolute Living, gives the PCEC background information on the facilities offered for seniors and those in need of care at Long Lake Hillside Resort.
Pensiri explained that her grandmother is 106 years old and still going strong, and that thinking about her grandmother’s needs gave Pensiri the idea of opening a business dedicated to providing quality retirement living. She said she was also influenced by the fact that the quality of most long-term care facilities in Thailand leaves something to be desired.
Pensiri describes to her PCEC audience the types of service offered for independent living, assisted living, and hospital after care residents at Long Lake Hillside Resort.
Long Lake is located a few kilometres east of Sukhumvit Road, off the main highway to Bangkok, a few minutes drive from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and about 10 minutes from the centre of Pattaya. Pensiri said that Long Lake combines resort-style living with special care. The resort includes 40 acres of landscaped grounds, including a natural lake.
PCEC’s MC Richard Silverberg presents Pensiri with a Certificate of Appreciation for her presentation.
Long Lake provides private living quarters, housekeeping and linen services, laundry services, and three meals a day. It also provides medication management, and transportation to and from medical appointments. Daily scheduled transportation to the centre of Pattaya is also available. There is a communal dining room, living room, game room, laundry area, and garden.
The Long Lake Hillside Resort offers both short- and long-term stays. The services provided by Absolute Living fall into three categories: (1) independent living; (2) assisted living; and (3) after-hospital stay. Further, she said that staff is trained in the care of Alzheimer patients.
As the name suggests, independent living is for retirees who can function independently and want to live in a resort setting where they can interact with other people and participate in communal activities. Assisted living is for seniors who can no longer manage on their own and require some degree of daily medical care and assistance. The staff provides assistance with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing and meals. After-hospital stay is geared specifically to assist in the needs of people who have recently had surgery or a serious illness. The idea is that customers select the services they need at any given moment in time.
She mentioned that Long Lake provides a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Indoor activities include a library, a games room, DVDs, an arts and crafts class and a Thai cooking class. Outdoor activities include morning exercises; and a garden and farm where people can grow rice and herb plants. Tour packages are also arranged for their independent living residents. For more information on the Long Lake Hillside Resort, visit their website at www.absolutelivingthailand.com.
After the presentation, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at www.pcecclub.org.
(Photos by Urasin Wat Khantaraphan)
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