The Developing a Health Care System for the Elderly Dependency in Sakaeo Province.

Abstract

     Thailand is advancing with an aging population and a strong healthcare system to support the needs of the elderly. The identification, synthesis, and evaluation of the model were the objectives of this participatory action research project on the health care system of elderly dependency. The research approach consisted of the following steps: 1) problem identification; 2) management and planning; 3) implementation; and 4-5) an extensive 12-months evaluation and after-action review. 430 individuals - LTC boards, healthcare providers, caregivers, and streak holders- were chosen at selected from three subdistrict administrative organizations in the Sakaeo province to be participants in the study. The following tools were used: 1) an interview form; 2) a voice recorder and discussion note for the focus group. Both descriptive and analytical statistics, such as content analysis and paired t-tests, were used to analyze the data.
     The findings indicated that six elements are necessary for a suitable model of an elderly dependency 's health care system: 1) support for self-management; 2) redesign of the delivery system; 3) treatment standards; 4) clinical information system; 5) health-care management; and 6) community policies and resources. Furthermore, after taking part in the project, the mean scores on activities of daily living (ADL), quality of life, and participated were all significantly higher than they were before at 0.05.