The Sanpatong Family Care Project is located in the Sanpatong area some 25 kilometres south of Chiang Mai City. The concept of home care is different in Southeast Asia than in Western countries, where it generally refers to home visits by doctors and nurses for purposes of treatment or monitoring. In contrast, people served by this project are taken in to a hospital or clinic by their families when they need medical attention. Visits by doctors and nurses are not a key element in the services provided. It regularly attracts 40-50 people to its lunches, which include meditation, exercise, and talks featuring a wide variety of speakers.
Medical attention is available at each meeting.
These gatherings are also used as an opportunity for the home-care team to monitor the health of club members. In order to create a family feeling, sightseeing trips and overnight camping are also organized. Therefore spiritual care is a well-accepted and necessary part of the project's work. In particular, meditation is taught by local Buddhist monks as a means of helping those hardest-hit discover tranquillity and mobilize enough mental strength to continue. In particular, the sessions aim to involve village leaders in ensuring care for relatives of the deceased, and to encourage neighbours to support each other.