
From Canada to Thailand: Claudette’s Experience of a Different Kind of Senior Living
At 81, Claudette never imagined she would be moving from Canada to Thailand for the first time. She had lived independently in her own apartment for years. Then, after several falls, the question of where and how she should live could no longer be postponed. Her son raised the subject gently, but Claudette already understood that something had to change. There was one thing she knew with certainty. “I don’t want to go into an institution.” Claudette had already considered senior residences in Canada. What troubled her was not the idea of receiving support, but the fear of becoming defined by it. “You’re referred to as a patient. I don’t want to be a patient.” For many older adults and
































