The Development of Care System for Elderly with Chronic disease though Volunteers to promote Spiritual Well-being

Abstract

This participatory action research aims to analyze caretaking of Elderly with chronic disease in the community, work conditions of volunteers, and improvement of care system of Elderly with chronic disease through volunteers for promote spiritual well-being, using community-based care concept. There are 90 data providers in situational analysis phase and 80 for system development phase. Data is provided by in-depth interview, focus group and sharing in knowledge management with spiritual reflection process. Quantitative data is analyzed using frequency and percentage while qualitative data is analyzed using content analysis. Data is validated by triangulation. Result from situational analysis phase is Elderly with chronic disease still receive low support from the community, with family members being the main caregivers. Public health service agencies do not provide at-home caretaking guideline. Public health volunteers are overloaded and unable to cover all patients. There are small groups of independent volunteers providing care for Elderly with chronic disease but are relatively unknown and underappreciated. Public health volunteers and their independent counterpart are lacking in knowledge, skills and confidence in caretaking of elderly with chronic disease. Municipalities, local leaders, and communities are lacking in knowledge on patient problems in their areas. Patient profile in healthcare facilities are often out-of-date and there is no synchronized, connected database between related agencies. Elderly with chronic disease under volunteer care have improved physical and spiritual health.  Development of care system of Elderly with chronic disease through volunteers also improve volunteer capabilities and numbers from 7 to 60 volunteers in all 12 villages, from all related sectors coordinating together. A prototype care system of Elderly with chronic disease through volunteers for promote of spiritual well-being is developed, called “Mae Nguen, Volunteer for well-being. Elderly with chronic disease under volunteer care are satisfied, happy, have more spiritual happiness than prior to development of the caretaking system with statistical significance (p<0.001). Caregivers have satisfaction of the senior chronic patient caretaking by volunteers system (p<0.05) and volunteers in caretaking of Elderly with chronic disease have higher satisfaction and happiness than ordinary people with statistical significance (p<0.001), also have higher spiritual happiness than prior to development of the senior chronic patient caretaking by volunteers system with statistical significance (p<0.001).