ศักยภาพของชุมชนในการดูแลผู้สูงอายุ Community Capacity in Elderly Care

Abstract

This ethnographic study focused on community capacity in elderly care. The study conformed to the context of community culture of the study area. Data were obtained from 115 informants using observation, in-depth interview and group discussion. Triangulation technique was used to facilitate the validation of the data. Content analysis was employed to analyze qualitative data. The findings showed as follows. 1). The context related to the care needs of the elderly in the community included the situation causing the potential care, characteristics of care, and the potential structure of the community. 2). The meaningful definition of community capacity in caring for the elderly included helping each other, disseminating knowledge through network, solidarity and voluntary among people within the community. 3). Defining problems and needs of community potential in caring for the elderly living in the area through local and national policies in order to make common efforts among people within the community included three elements: creating community awareness, increasing potential learning, and managing community capacity. 4). Factors influencing the community capacity in caring for the elderly included having decent database at district level, using participatory community education action process, encouraging discussion through community forum among four main organizations in the area, developing and supporting community capacity through building networks with inside and outside organizations. 5). Recommendations on the community capacity in caring for the elderly to health promoting hospitals included designing the database by identifying important target population and risk group. Elderly care service should be designed for health promoting hospitals. In addition, Local Government Organization should be a host in the preparation of the database at sub-district level, planning community capacity for the elderly care, establishing an integrated elderly care center. Budgets should be provided to help manage elderly care, and reinforcing activities with various groups that impact the care of the elderly within the community.