Long-term care System and Quality of Life of Dependent Elderly, Khlong Khlung District, Kamphaeng Phet Province

Abstract

The long-term care system has an impact on improving the quality of life for dependent elderly conditions by promoting and supporting the budget from the National Health Security Office (NHSO). The purpose of this descriptive research was to compare quality of life and factors affecting quality of life of dependent elderly in Khlong Khlung district, Kamphaeng Phet province. A questionnaire was used for the dependent elderly conditions, (Reliability was 0.94) and focus group as a tool for data collection. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) t-test, One-way ANOVA, Chi-square, Multiple Regression as entered with the level of significance set at 0.05, and content analysis. The results that: overall and individual quality of life level was moderate. In terms of social relations the average was highes ( = 3.37, S.D. = 0.493). Elderly with status, former/present occupation and different medical facilities will have different levels of quality of life. Factors that were statistically related to the quality of life of dependent elderly were age, congenital disease of the elderly, income sufficiency, and gender of caregivers. The predictive factors of quality of life of dependent elderly consisted of the age (β = 0.103), congenital diseases of the elderly (β = 0.010), the hospitals admitted (β = 0.232), and gender of caregivers (β = –0.174), with a prediction of 17.6% (R² = 0.176). Guidelines for promoting the quality of life of dependent elderly and to make the operation more successful, the policy must be clear, easy to communicate, understandable and practical by the District Health Board, the issue of developing the quality of life of dependent elderly, especially family members to participate in planning and providing care for the elderly according to the Care Plan. Based on the findings, it is suggested that central co-operation should be co-ordinated to create comprehensive care for the elderly, including a physical, mental, social, economic, environmental, indepth study the quality of life dependent elderly in various sides. As well as studying the impact and quality of life of dependent elderly’s caregivers under the LTC system.