Health Officials Urge Five Checks Before Choosing Elderly Care Homes
Thailand’s Health Service Support Department advises the public to check five key points—licensing, staff, emergency systems, activities, and family communication—before selecting an elderly care home. Officials warn that choosing a facility based only on looks or cost can endanger residents’ health and safety. They urge visits and reporting of substandard facilities to the SSD hotline.
The Health Service Support Department (SSD) urged the public to verify five essential criteria before choosing an elderly care home, emphasizing that proper licensing and emergency response systems must be in place. Speaking on October 15, 2026, SSD Director‑General Dr. Phuwadech Surakhot noted the growing reliance on such facilities as some families cannot care for ageing relatives, and warned that substandard premises pose health, safety and quality‑of‑life risks. The five checks are: confirming the facility’s operating licence and suitability of premises; ensuring adequate, trained staff; verifying emergency equipment, fire safety, escape routes and referral procedures to hospitals; assessing activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing and reduce isolation; and checking that families can maintain contact and receive regular health updates. SSD Deputy Director‑General Dr. Akom Praditsasuwan added that decisions should not be based solely on a home’s appearance or fees, but on legal compliance, care quality and resident safety. The department encouraged people to research and visit facilities in person, and to report any suspicious or substandard homes to the SSD complaint centre at 0‑2193‑7057 or to any of its 12 regional health service support offices nationwide.
