Evaluation of Caring Dependent Elders by Sub-district Health Promoting Hospitals, Krabi Province

Abstract

This research was formative evaluation research. The objectives were to evaluate the care for the dependent elders, as well as, compare health status before and after care providing, and problems in caring the dependent elders at sub-district health promoting hospitals (SHPHs), Krabi province. Both quantitative and qualitative study were used. Questionnaires, interviewing from, and in-depth interviewing from were used for data collecting. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test and content analyzing were used for data analyzing.

The evaluation results showed that 94.4% of SHPH officers agreed with the caring policy for dependent elders. 30.3% and 77.2% of elders (who rather could and could not do self-care) need home health care. 45.9%, 33.3% and 28.1%  of SHPH’s dependent elders care teams (DECTs) got high, low and moderate level of support, respectively. 83.3% of SHPH’s DECTs got high level of implementing. 47.2% got high level of implementing participation from community and district. The elders who rather could and could not do self-care had statistically significant better physical and mental health than previously (P-value <0.001), and had high satisfied of care taking at 40.7% and 38.0%, respectively. SHPHs officials had high and moderate level satisfied of care taking at 37.5% and 51.4%. There were problems during implementing included lack of equipment and durable articles, few staff / over workload at 11.1% and 7.0%, respectively. From this research, should continue this policy, and improve better quality.