Perceived social support of community-dwelling rural elderly in northern Thailand

Abstract

Objectives  To explore social support perceived by community-dwelling rural elderly in Phayao and Lamphun provinces.

Materials and method This qualitative descriptive study was employed purposive sampling to recruit 98 elderly people, who aged 60-89 years and living in rural areas of two provinces of northern Thailand i.e. Phayao and Lamphun. In-depth interviews and focus groups were used as the methods of data collection. Data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results  Participants perceived that social support specifically related to psychological/mental needs and responses. The participants also described main sources of social support. These were identified as three subthemes: family as a center of love, temple as a center of mind, and hospital as a center of support.

Conclusion  Perceived social support of elderly and relevant factors are important for developing model of elderly care in community and hospital so as to enhance potential and quality of life in this population.