Developing a Model of Elderly Care through Family and Community Participation in Nikhom Phatthana Sub-district, Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province

Abstract

This action research aimed to develop a health care model for the elderly with the participation of families and the community in Nikhom Phatthana Sub-district, Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province. The study was conducted from November 2021 to April 2022. The sample population was 45 stakeholders and 358 elderly individuals. The research employed the action research model, which consists of four phases: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. The instruments used in this study included: (1) a questionnaire assessing participation in the development of a health promotion model for older adults, (2) a general quality of life questionnaire, and (3) a quality-of-life questionnaire specifically for older adults. The reliability coefficients of these instruments were 0.89, 0.92, and 0.92, respectively. In addition, a knowledge questionnaire for caregivers and related personnel regarding elderly care was employed, with reliability tested using the Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20), yielding a coefficient of 0.94. Data from the sample were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were applied to evaluate differences in quality of life before and after participation in the developed intervention model. A paired t-test was used to compare mean scores, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.05.

Results: The health care model for the elderly, developed with the participation of families and the community in Nikhom Phatthana sub-district is the "3P2RAO Model," which comprises seven key components: 1) P1 (Policy & Structure) 2) P2 (Plan) 3) P3 (Participate) 4) R1 (Research) 5) A (Action) 6) O (Observation) and 7) R2 (Reflection), with a focus on success stories and opportunities for development. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall quality of life among the elderly before and after the intervention at the 0.05 level, and the quality of life among the elderly between the pre-test and post-test periods at the 0.05 level. Key factors for success included: The local administrative organization's emphasis on the elderly, Family and community participation, Support and encouragement from the sub-district health promotion hospital, a strong community leader, social capital, and Network coordination.